Complications
by BritishLuxray
Summary: Izuru Kamakura would enter the program, but it would be Hajime Hinata participating in the killing game. At least, that was the plan. Izuru did not account for sharing a body with his former self, nor did he account for the program botching both their memories wipes. Having too many memories, and two boys sharing a body, how will it change the game?
1. Prologue start: Waking up

The world was bright. Sunlight, harsh and unforgiving, pushed its way through Hajime's eyelids. He groaned softly. His thoughts wouldn't settle, and his head throbbed, every wave synchronising with the sound of the crashing ocean.

 _The ocean…? That's right…there was a door…a classroom? The walls, they fell away. That couldn't possibly happen…that's not logical…how could it be real?_

 **It wasn't.**

The response shook him to the core. _That…I didn't think that._ "Who?" he wheezed aloud. He pulled himself up, eyelids tight and crusted with sleep. Sand hissed softly as it fell from his hair and he glanced around, eyes scanning the beach. It was deserted.

"They left me here," Hajime couldn't decide whether he was shocked or annoyed at the revelation.

 **There was a boy here, waiting for us to wake. I sent him off a while earlier while you were wasting time.**

"I wasn't wasting time, I was unconscious!" Hajime spluttered. He froze and again looked around him. "Wait, where?"

The voice sighed. Hajime thought he could detect an edge of contempt in the response.

 **I do not advise talking to me aloud. It makes a bad habit, one that will give people cause to think you mad. My name is Izuru Kamakura. I am audible to you, and only you. And before you start on whatever inevitable rant you're sure to go on, I am not pleased with the situation either. Though I suppose this situation intrigues me enough.**

"Izuru?" he whispers to himself. His head throbbed and white light seemed to flash behind his eyes. That name… he knew that name…why? And that rabbit, back in the classroom had welcomed them to Hope's Peak Academy, as if they were started the semester. But that wasn't right. He was sure he'd already gone to Hope's Peak, for months even. But the more he reached for the memories, the more they fled.

"Dammit," he hissed in frustration. "Why can't I…?"

 **Your memories have been removed.**

 _What?!_ He bolted upright. "You-" he stopped and silenced himself. _You know something. What is it? And you still didn't tell me who you were. A name isn't an identity._

There was a pause.

 **…I suppose it isn't. Very well, I am known by a few titles. I am known as the Ultimate Hope, the Ultimate Ultimate, and more recently, Ultimate Despair. As for what I know, I am afraid that will make this game too easy, and therefore much too boring.**

 _How can you be both Ultimate Hope and Despair at the same time? What do those titles even mean? Plus, what's an Ultimate Ultimate anyway? I don't see how this has anything to do with me, or why you're in my head._

Hajime swore he almost heard another sigh as the voice responded.

 **It means what it means. My title of Ultimate Ultimate refers to my mastery of all human talent; ergo I am the 'Ultimate' of all 'Ultimates'. As for how I am connected to you, I don't believe you ever asked.** A shadow of smirk seemed to grace "Izuru's" voice. **Though since I'm sure you're bound to pester me if I don't at least address it, I'll give you some insight into our predicament.** Another pause. **You are me. You are me, but I am not you. We are not meant to exist here, at the same state, at the same time, and so I am here, tethered to you as you play this game.**

 _That doesn't make any sense! If I am you, aren't you me? And since when do I have multiple personality disorder? What game do you keep talking about?_

"I've hit my head too hard," Hajime mumbled to himself. "I'm talking to a voice in my head."

 **As expected, you are mind-numbingly boring. Since you cannot seem to accept or comprehend my existence fully without additional proof, I suggest you take a look at yourself in the water.**

 _You mean my reflection?_

Hajime crawled his way to the edge of the beach where the waves lapped at the sand, and hauling himself to his feet, peering into the crystal waters. His reflection stared back at him. Eyes, pale green with that strange lighter ring looked back at him, cynical eyes searching. His hair was the same also, short, brown and choppy, a permanent mess with that one chunk that never seemed to smooth. His favourite white shirt and green tie clung to his torso, damp from lying in the spray.

 _It's just me. I don't look any different._

 **Wait.**

Hajime felt something in the back of his mind shift, like the coils of a serpent unravelling. He stiffened at the sensation, and he forced to keep his eyes focused on the water.

 **Calm yourself.**

There was a small, internal snap and Hajime found his reflection changed. His eyes were red. In the shadows cast by his hair they almost seemed to glow, while in the sunlight, the colour was soft and less noticeable. The ring that circled his pupil seemed different also. He'd been told it almost looked like a prohibition sign in the past, but he'd waved off the conjecture as overactive imaginations. Now, though, he watched at the ring seemed to _slide,_ and the crossing line slid to the outside of the circle. It was…disturbing how quickly they had changed. He felt himself shift and watched his posture in the reflection change. New posture, new eyes…for a moment, he swore his hair darkened a few shades, but waved it off as a trick of the light.

He continued to stare for a few more moments in shock before he tried to move. In a flash of panic, he found he couldn't.

"Relax." He flinched at the sound of his own voice filling the air. "I have no interest in controlling this body longer than I have to. This is simply a demonstration. Despite how they've…botched your memory wipe and allowing my presence access here, you are still a player in this game, one I wish to watch from the sidelines. Now, I suggest you introduce yourself to your classmates, before you find yourself excluded."

 _What was that about not talking aloud before?_

 **I am not so likely to mistakenly reveal our presence.**

Suddenly, Hajime found the veil snap backwards and the feeling of coils winding in the back of his head. He took a deep breath, the biggest he could, and tried not to have an anxiety attack. That was frankly terrifying.

 **Do not be so dramatic.**

 _That wasn't for you. And I don't think I'm the dramatic one here._

Izuru remained silent at that, and Hajime silently counted his blessings. Doing his best to rub the remainder of the sand out his hair and pant pockets. He made his way off of the beach, ducking under fallen palm leaves before stepping onto a path. Shrugging, he followed it, fear, anxiety, and the hot summer sun beating down on his nerves.


	2. Meeting up part 1 (what game, Izuru?)

The first building Hajime came across was…a farm? He blinked twice to make sure the summer sun hadn't cooked his brain. _It would explain the voices._

 **Your denial is both boring and inaccurate. Standing here in the hot sun does not improve your chances of avoiding heatstroke either, so I suggest you get this over and done with before you lose what precious little brain cells you have left.**

"Rude," Hajime grumbled aloud, but begrudgingly moved forward. "Wait," he mumbled. "Don't we share a brain? Now I know you're being rude just for the sake of it."

 **It was an expression.**

Hajime shook his head. "And here I was thinking you had a sense of humour."

 **Such a thing would be a waste of time.**

 _No wonder you're always bored._

A mental grunt was all the reply he got. Pushing through the gate of the farm, he read the sign hanging above, swaying despite the lack of a breeze. "Usami Corral…" A sudden giggling caught his attention and, after a moment of hesitation, he made his way towards the sound. There, crouched on the ground was…a small child? The girl was on her hands and knees, focused on something on the ground and cackling manically. Her preposterously oversized blonde pigtails bobbed as she giggled and the orange… _what is that?_

 **It appears to be a kimono.**

 _Ah thanks._ Hajime shook himself. He still didn't understand the circumstance around the new voice in his head, but he definitely seemed to be connected to the strange situation at hand, and as such he wasn't prepared to act friendly towards it until he got answers. He really was becoming accustomed to it much too quickly.

"Um, hey, what are you doing?" he asked curiously, stepping up next to the cackling child. Ants were forming a scattered mess on the ground in front of her knees, black bodies scurrying frantically, the remnants of a line left in the form of still, flat forms pressed into the dirt.

"Can't you tell? I'm squishing ! Squishy, squishy, squish! Hey, want to join me?"

For a moment all Hajime could do was gape. Will…will all of his classmates be this weird. He managed to splutter out a polite decline, before pushing through. "Before I um, leave you to squish more ants, I figure I should introduce myself. I'm Hajime Hinata-" A stray thought crossed his mind. Should he introduce Izuru? Of _course not._ On what planet would that be a good idea? Hi, my name is Hajime Hinata, I don't remember why I'm here, because I'm pretty sure I've already attended Hope's Peak but I'm missing so many memories I don't even remember my talent right now and oh, I have another person in my head who claims to be the Ultimate Hope, whatever that means. Want to be friends?

"-what's your name?" he finished instead. The girl seemed to laugh mockingly before twisting to face him.

"I'm Hiyoko Saionji, the Ultimate Dancer! Anyway, if you're not gonna help me squish Mr. Ant, can you leave? You're kinda annoying." She said, turning back to her mass murder in progress.

Shocked, Hajime raised one eyebrow, but nodded wordlessly and stepped away.

 **Statistically, animal abuse is linked to a lack of empathy and sociopathic tendencies. While I doubt she has the capability to attack someone larger than herself, I would suggest maintaining caution around her.**

 _That's nice to know, I guess. Though why you seem to think there will be a time where I'll have to worry about my classmates attacking me, I don't know._

Izuru remained silent, and Hajime ignored the twinge of concern awakened by his ever-present anxiety.

His next stop was an airport of some kind. At least, he assumed so. Peering through the mesh fence, he spotted a runway made of black bitumen, and several planes. Stepping inside the grey metal and concrete building that loomed out the front, he sighed in pleasant surprise as air conditioning swept over him. Looking around, he spotted three people hanging around in the mainly empty building. One man stood in a corner, dark hair style upwards, wearing a heavy coat and purple scarf. Bandages wound around one arm and he seemed to be…talking to himself. Right. Okay. Another man was making his inside, his hair a bright hot pink. He was rubbing his hands on the neon yellow jumpsuit that he wore, and small patches of oil came away. The third person was an incredibly beautiful blonde woman standing to his right, inspecting the baggage claim area with an intense expression. He sighed inwardly. None of them looked particularly normal.

 _What do you think, Izuru?_ He thought offhandedly. Silence greeted his question. Irritation rose, and he scolded himself for again trying to be friendly with the sour ass that lived in his head. Amusement danced as indignation not his own rose at his thoughts.

He decided that the man in the middle seemed to be the most friendly, and his feet seemed to move on their own. He was quickly noticed, and a blinding smile greeted him. Hajime stared. The man's teeth were pointed, reminding him intensely of shark teeth.

"Oh, you're tha guy that passed out of the beach, right? Good to see ya're feeling better. We were pretty worried for a bit there, but the weird white haired guy said he'd look after ya. The names Kazuichi Souda! I'm the Ultimate Mechanic, nice to meet ya!" Kazuichi flashed another grin, leaning back as he casually hooked his hands behind his head.

 _He's very relaxed considering the situation,_ Hajime noted.

 **Ultimates are known to be strange and are often made under pressure. I'm only barely surprised they're handling this well. You're the only one who's had a normal reaction.**

 _You're saying I'm boring._

 **Yes.**

 _Fantastic._

 **I'm not saying they're acting wise. This situation is unnatural, and they're not acting with an ounce of common sense. Being an Ultimate doesn't stop you from being an idiot, it seems. This one is particularly dull. He will not be much threat.**

 _There you go again._

Hajime's mood improved marginally after that last comment, but something about something Izuru said seemed out of place. What was it?

"I'm Hajime Hinata," he offered with the most relaxed smile he could force. "Nice to meet you."

"Hajime, huh?" Kazuichi seemed to roll the name on his tongue for a moment before smiling again. "Cool. By the way, you're from Hope's Peak, right? What's ya talent?"

Hajime felt the bottom of his stomach drop. What should he do? Lie? Dodge the question? No, lying always came back to bite you. He may as well bite the bullet. He took a deep breathe and gave a tight smile. "I, um, don't actually remember my talent. I must've hit my head pretty hard."

"Dude, really? That's gotta suck. I'm sure you'll remember it eventually!" Kazuichi encouraged.

"Ah, y-yeah." Hajime wanted to tell people about Izuru so much it hurt, but he couldn't be sure of their reaction, or that they'd believe him, so he kept quiet.

 **A sensible choice.**

 _Shut up._

"So you're a mechanic?" Hajime tried. "Have you been checking out the aeroplanes then?"

Kazuichi seemed to brighten again. "Yeah, I just finished. They've got an awesome range of models!"

"Could any of them be used to get off the island?" Hajime asked, curious. His gut sunk again when the mechanic shook his head.

"'Fraid not. Someone removed all the engines. I'm the Ultimate Mechanic, but I'm not a miracle worker. Can't work with something that aren't there."

Hajime tried not to let his disappointment show and smiled encouragingly instead. "No big deal. It's kinda worrying though…" he muttered.

"You're still paranoid?" asked the mechanic. His eyes seemed to dart and he looked nervous. "I mean, it doesn't really matter, I mean, we're here on a field trip, it's not like they're making us do anything weird, right?"

"Yeah," agreed Hajime noncommittedly. He was shaken. Shaken because the moment those words had left Kazuichi's mouth, the thought had echoed in his mind, sat like acid on the edge of his tongue.

" ** _Yet._** "

Hajime said his goodbyes and turned to the other man in the room and braced himself.

 **My analysis leads me to believe that while this man may be eccentric, he is unlikely to cause harm. You may relax, Hajime.**

 _I've only met two and I'd already be surprised if they weren't eccentric._

 **A wise deduction.**

"Hey, my name's Hajime Hinata. What's yours?" Hajime cut straight to the chase. The man spun and glared at him. One eye was grey, and another red. His skin was even paler up close and had a grey colour. As he stood there, the man began to laugh. It wasn't like Hiyoko's murderous cackling or Kazuichi's careful laugh, but a deep, enthusiastic chuckle Hajime would place more with a corny villain off a tv show.

"Fu hu hu, what's this? A mere mortal dares approach me, the Overlord of Ice?! Such courage, or perhaps naivety. For your bravery, I shall reward you with my name. For behold, I am Gundham Tanaka, known to this earth as the Ultimate Breeder!" Gundham posed dramatically. "I call to you, my Dark Devas of destruction! Appear before us and shake fear into the creatures dwelling upon this mortal plane!"

Hajime stood there in shock. He just didn't know what was happening. He just wanted a quick introduction, and now the weird guy, Gundham, was yelling and posing and speaking like a bad fantasy villain. As Gundham finished his speech, however, his scarf began to rustle. Hajime unconsciously took a step forward, curious. A pair of beady eyes stared back. Then another, then another and finally another. Four hamsters appeared from within the folds of the man's scarf.

"Behold!" he yelled. "The Dark Devas of Destruction! Now, Hajime Hinata, declare which clan you have formed a contract with, before I destroy you in entirety!"

 _What._

 _I don't…I don't even know how to respond. Oh god, he's staring at me. He actually expects me to answer._

 **He's asking you if you've ever had a pet, Hajime.**

 _He's what._

 **I don't have full access to your memories, so I can't speak for you, but I have never had a pet myself.**

 _You have access to any of my – you know what, we'll talk later._

"I, um, had a dog?" Hajime tried, depending on Izuru's advice. _Please be right, please be right…_

"Aha! I see. A commander of hellhounds stands before me! Indeed, that is a much powerful contact. I look forward to demonstrations of your power." He scoffed before walking away dramatically.

 _Well that was something. Thanks, I guess._

Hajime finally made his way over to the beautiful blonde who straightened, satisfied with her staring at the conveyer belt. She spotted him out the corner of her eye and turned with a flourish. "You must be one of my new classmates!" she greeted enthusiastically. She clasped her hands together tightly in glee and her blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. Hajime was stunned, and his tongue didn't seem to want to move. The stranger frowned at this.

"It is rude to stare!" she commanded. Hajime straightened immediately and almost yelped, biting o his tongue last second.

"Um, sorry," he apologised sheepishly. "I should probably introduce myself. I'm Hajime Hinata."

"Apology accepted," she smiled. "My name is Sonia Nevermind, and I hold the title of Ultimate Princess. However, my aim in attending Hope's Peak is to be an ordinary student like the rest of you, so please treat me as such!" she commanded again. Hajime resisted the urge to kneel on the ground, all but overwhelmed by the incredible presence of the princess.

 _With a power like that, it might be a little hard._

 **She is certainly formidable. I would not want to test her resolve. I would be particularly cautious around her.**

 _Why are you making all these comments? You make it sound like something bad is going to happen, you spoke of a 'game' and you keep commenting on how dangerous everyone is. Besides, didn't you say something about being on the sidelines?_

 **I cannot interfere with the overall course by giving you information, however, seeing I am not here, it would be unfortunate if you were so incompetent that I would not be able to observe beyond the beginning.**

 _I-Incompetent?! That's it, I'm done taking to you._

Hajime smiled and said his goodbyes to the princess, making his way to the airport door. He didn't notice the look of puzzlement and cautious calculation that crossed the princess's face.

 _Hello, I didn't expect this to get as much attention as it did; I also didn't expect to upload again so quickly! If anyone wants to leave some feedback, that would be great! Also, I'm publishing this at 3am, so if there's any spelling mistakes, I'm terribly sorry! I've always wanted to read a story like this, so I'm very excited about this story, but I've suddenly realised that I've given myself a project a bit bigger than anything I've done before, so please be patient with me! Thank you for your readership and see you next time!_


	3. Meeting up part 2

"Better keep moving," Hajime sighed, jogging along the dirt track. Humidity hung heavy in the air, the hot island sun leaving the air sticky and uncomfortable. He pulled at his clothes self-consciously as he moved. He didn't want marks after all; he didn't know how long he'd be stuck here and he didn't bring spares. Something in the back of his mind, (the part that wasn't some cryptic stranger) told him something was off, he was missing something key. He dropped it when a low set building came into view.

"Rocketpunch market?" he read aloud. For a moment he thought he heard Izuru sigh.

 **So close.**

 _What?_

Izuru didn't answer. Ignoring the rising frustration, he carefully pushed open one of the double set doors, again feeling the comforting wash of cool air roll over him. _Everything seems to have electricity at least…_

Scanning the room carefully, he spotted four figures wandering the aisles. To his left, a girl with black hair and purple highlights seemed to dig eagerly though several containers of peanut butter, while a boy with _white?_ Hair watched on with a curious expression. To his left stood another pair, this time a short boy and a black-haired girl conversing in a corner. As he watched, the shorter boy spoke rapidly, performing some…unpleasant gestures. The girl began to look more and more flustered, tears threatening to fall with every passing second.

"O-Oi!" he interrupted. The two turned towards him and he inwardly cringed at the spark of poorly hidden lust blatantly present in the leering expression on the stouter boy's face. He was dressed in a chef's outfit, missing only the hat to complete the outfit. His eyes seemed to roam hungrily up and down his figure and the older student resisted the urge to shudder. Hajime convinced himself, (barely), not to run for the door.

"Oh, what do we have here?" they purred. "I was just having a conversation with the lovely Miss Mikan. You can join us, if you would be inclined?"

The girl, Mikan, hiccupped. She had bandages wound around one arm, and her right leg, Hajime noticed, worried. _Was she injured already?_

 **They're accessories. Likely either covering up scars, or as a comfort item. It's quite obvious.**

 _Like you're so smart. You just pulled that out your ass, didn't you?_

 **The bandages are unmarked, unstained and carefully layered. That means that their application was slow and carefully managed. Regardless of the fact that you stand before the Ultimate Nurse, bandages applied to wounds are likely to have some staining from blood or other fluid weeping from a wound, and would have been applied in a more rushed and uneven manner. Additionally, there is no bulge to signify a dressing or other proper medical attention. Judging by her nervous nature, she is unlikely of a stable mental state. Ergo, either a comfort item, or hiding scars of previous abuse.**

 _J-Just because she's a little shy-!_

"I'm sorry!" Mikan suddenly stammered. Well, screeched would be a closer description for the pitch of the cry that rang from her mouth. Her words were full of panic and worry as her eyes darted between the two boys.

"It's okay! Um, I'm sorry I upset you and um, interrupted…" Hajime stammered out a response, raising his arms in a helpless defence. Izuru seemed to give off a smug aura in the back of his head.

 _This doesn't prove anything!_

 **The girl all but had a panic attack at the prospect of disappointing you, a stranger. I stand by my analysis.**

Hajime could only watch as the girl began to weep quietly. Approaching her only seemed to make her cry harder, so he backed off for now, approaching the other two people scanning the shelves.

 _By the way, you never provided that odd analysis on those two. Tired of the 'surprise battle royale shtick' you keep pulling yet?_

 **Your attitude lead me to believe you had no interest in my observations, so I stopped. I'm sorely tempted to let you stew in your irritation and curiosity; however, that would be me overestimating the enjoyment such an endeavour would provide, and could endanger our chances in the future.**

 **The pervert, Teruteru Hanamura is the Ultimate Cook, though his outfit suggests an overinflated ego, so he'd likely prefer the title 'chef'. His actions suggests a weak morality; I would not trust him as an ally. His figure poses a moderate threat; he is not fit, but his weight would make for a decent weapon given momentum.**

 _You know, I'm treating this as a joke for my own sanity. Izuru, please don't tell me there's going to be an actual battle royale on this island._

 **Mikan Tsumiki is obviously the Ultimate Nurse, as I mentioned before. Her outfit alone is enough to deduce this fact, even without each Ultimate's personal fame. Her state of mind is incredibly fragile which leaves her own to manipulation; however without a powerful emotional trigger, I cannot see her gaining the courage to murder anyone. That, or outside interference.**

 _Outside interference?_

 **Her knowledge in medicine and mental state make her a great potential ally, provided she does not become too…zealous.**

Hajime just sighed to himself. Izuru was obviously steamrolling over his comments, ignoring him completely. The uncertainty that had been brewing since he'd first woken up on the beach was simmering just below full blown panic. He could feel it in the way his hands trembled and every breathe fought with the pound of dough that sat lodged between his collarbones. If he wasn't careful, and if Izuru kept talking about this worse case scenario, he might just faint for a second time.

Regardless, he tried to force a small smile on his face as he approached the new students, aware he probably just looked constipated instead.

The first to notice him was the white haired boy. Catching sight of him from the corner of his eye, he turned and straightened, revealing himself to be several centimetres taller that Hajime himself (or so Hajime thought; it was hard to get a read with all that hair). His hair itself was like cottonballs, or teased Halloween cobwebs, purchased from a dollar store to be thrown erratically over bushes and cars. Eyes that Hajime was surprised to find fit the term 'stormy grey' seemed to almost sparkle when they met his own.

"Ah, I'm glad to see you're up and awake!" The boy chirped. Hajime quirked an eyebrow at the carefree tone. "I'm very sorry about before; I suppose I was being annoying, hovering like that. Of course you didn't need any help; you're an Ultimate afterall!" The boy smiled a quiet, innocent smile as he gesturing lazily with one hand.

 _Is he being passive aggressive? I honestly can't tell._

For once, Izuru was quiet.

 _I guess I'll play along then._

"Sorry about that," Hajime apologised awkwardly. "I, uh, get really cranky when I wake up, I guess. Thanks for checking whether I was alright though, really. I, uh, appreciated it. I just needed some time to myself."

The white haired boy's eyes widened ever so slightly, before breaking into a bigger smile. "I see! I really wouldn't have been surprised if it was because I was being annoying. I've been told I can be quite irritating. It's too bad though," he said suddenly. "You missed an incredible magic trick! Miss Usami turned a rooster into a cow, right in front of my eyes!"

"She…what? Wait, Miss Usami? Don't tell me that's the weird bunny thing from the beach?!"

"Haha, yeah! Good guess! And it's exactly what it sounds like. I visited Miss Hiyoko at the ranch, and she used her supposed 'magic stick' to change a rooster into a cow right in front of me. It was very impressive."

"I…see." Hajime wasn't sure what to say to the recount he'd just heard. What was the point of getting a toy to pretend to perform a magic trick? Especially one that would take enough effort to make a cow appear from thin air.

"Oh, by the way, I'm Hajime Hinata, nice to meet you." Hajime offered, trying to break the awkward atmosphere.

"I thought as much; I filled in your entry after I met you on the beach. Though, I have to say, its rather odd; it doesn't list your talent for some reason." The boy in front of him frowned, one hand lifted to his face in thought.

"Entry?" Hajime asked, baffled. The boy in front of him raised a single eyebrow.

"You haven't noticed? The e-handbook Usami gave us. It should be in your pant pocket."

Hajime patted his pockets, digging his hand into his right pocket, pulling out a device with a black, flat screen. A touch had it flickering to life. "Thanks, um, what was your name again?" Hajime tried.

"You've already forgotten my name? That's a little careless, but not too unexpected."

 _Izuru, help, what's his name. You're the one who chased him off, take some responsibility!_

"I haven't forgotten! It's…let me think," he stalled, sweating bullets.

 **Nagito. Nagito Komaeda.**

"…Nagito, right? Nagito Komaeda?" He held his breath in anticipation.

"So you remembered after all! It's nice to see I made an impression, even a small one." Nagito made to open his mouth again, when he was interrupted by a blur of black and purple.

"Hey, hey hey! Lookie lookie, it's a new person Ibuki hasn't seen before! Where have you been hiding? It doesn't matter because its time for introductions! Have an I! You have a B! You have a U-K-I and M-I-O-D-A! What does that spell? Ibuki Mioda! I'm the Ultimate Musician, nice to meetcha'!"

 **She's certainly enthusiastic.**

"You think?" he muttered aloud before catching himself. Izuru sighed.

 _Would you stop that?_

"I'm Hajime Hinata, nice to meet you. And to answer both of you, I don't actually remember my talent."

Nagito had a comical expression of surprise plastered across his face before he schooled his features. "You don't? How strange. You must have hit your head pretty hard when you fainted."

"Ehhh? That's so strange. Oh well, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually, Haji-meme!"

"W-What did you just call me?"

"Bye bye!" Ibuki called over her shoulder before she sprinted for the doorway, leaping over a display as she went. Hajime and Nagito watched in silence at her dramatic exit. Eventually, Nagito spoke.

"Since you've just woken up, I'm sure you still have quite a few students to talk to. I've already talked to most of them, so I think we'll part ways here. It was nice to see you again."

"Yeah. That sounds good. Thanks for the help Nagito." He thanked the strange boy as they turned to leave, pausing for a moment at the doorway.

"No problem. Feel free to ask me for help anytime. Hajime." For a single moment, Hajime thought he felt venomous suspicion lace his name as it passed those pale lips, before he brushed it aside.

 **Hajime.**

 _Oh, so you're back now. Had a nice nap?_

 **Fear makes you snarky, it's not an attractive personality trait. Be careful around Nagito Komaeda.**

 _Really? Why? I thought he was nice. A little self-depreciating, but mostly helpful._

 **He's dangerous. I have reason to believe he is delusional, and possibly psychopathic. Regardless of the situation, he is dangerous. He's also incredibly intelligent; just from our interactions here and the beach, he's become suspicious.**

 _You have any evidence to back up those claims?_

 **Beyond his depreciating comments indicating a deeper psychological issue? No. But I also have more memories than you; you'll have to trust me on this one.**

"Trust." Hajime snorted quietly to himself as he stepped back out into the scorching sunlight.

 **Yes, trust. I'm in for the same ride as you, Hajime. You'll appreciate my presence soon enough.**

 _And Ibuki? What's your evaluation there?_ He asked, curious.

 **Vibrant, loud, impulsive. Given a little effort, she could be manipulated. Quite possibly the least threatening so far. The rambunctious heart of gold type.**

 _Really? Huh._

 **Most likely to be a victim.**

 _Please don't say things like that._

Hajime poked at the newly discovered e-handbook, swiping through the profile of the people he'd met. What Nagito had said was true; several profiles were locked. Including his own, nine of the sixteen profiles had details filled out. In many of the unlocked profiles, a shadow shape was filled with a single blue segment.

"I wonder what that means," he wondered aloud.

 **I believe they're called hope shards. The bunny talked about them while you were unconscious. Such a ridiculous name.**

 _Hope shards?_

 **You collect them through positive interaction with your peers. Supposedly, collecting everyone's lets you go home. Normally there's a notification, but I found it irritating, so I muted it.**

 _There's a way home and you hid it?_

 **It was irritating.**

 _Everything irritates you!_

 **Incorrect. Most of it bores me. People though, I find particularly irritating. Feel grateful I do not attempt to mute them too.**

And on that threatening note, Hajime decided giving Izuru some space was probably a good idea. Checking the profiles of students he'd met, he observed that Izuru was correct about both the short pervert and the timid girl's talents and names.

Flicking to Nagito's profile, he found he held the title of 'Ultimate Luck'.

 _Weird talent._

 **A terrifying one. Not one I do not possess, so we are fairly safe, but imposing indeed.**

 _You've said you have all these talents before. If we share the same body, don't I have any of these talents too?_

 **Talent may be influenced by body shape and type, particularly in athletics; however, it is nearly entirely a mental trait. So no.**

 _Luck is a mental trait._

 **Partially. The powers of the human mind can do marvellous things. For the most part, however, it is an exception, hence your safety. You will not be 'lucky' but you will not be 'unlucky'.**

 _Okay, I guess. Hey, did we just have a mature conversation for once?_

 **I'm shocked too. Didn't think you were capable.**

 _Jerk._

 _ **I really hope I've fixed the formatting now guys, really doesn't like this chapter for some reason. Unfortunately, I had to delete the chapter after uploading and replacing it with newer versions didn't work. As I've said before, I hope you like the chapter, sorry its short, I've been doing lots of planning, and I have a new tumblr at .com where you can send me drabbles prompts, ask questions about my stories and AUs, and even get some previews. No pairings are promised for now, I'll have to see where this story takes me. Thank you for everything, especially people who left comments last time and were somehow able to read it (superhumans, I swear).**_


	4. Izuru is still so goddamn sarcastic

Hajime continued flicking through the e-book the white haired student he'd met at the market had so kindly pointed out. So far, he'd met what appeared to be eight of the fifteen other students on the island. The Ultimate Dancer, Breeder, Mechanic, Princess (that was a thing?), Cook, Nurse, Musician and of course, Lucky student. Each profile had things such as Height, weight, chest size, likes and dislikes, and obviously, their talent. Except, of course, for Hajime's own. Unlike the other students, under the talent portion of the profile, the title ' Ultimate ? ' mocked him from the screen.

After a brief moment of frustration, he stopped walking entirely and took a deep breath.

 _Hey, Izuru._

 **No.**

 _You don't know what I was going to ask!_

 **You were going to enquire if I had any knowledge of your talent.**

 _Smartass. So, you're not even gonna give me a hint?_

 **My belief is that your psychological state would benefit from not knowing. Additionally, this is supposed to be a mystery, Hajime. You already have more hints than you should have been strictly given.**

 **"** If it's supposed to be a mystery, why am I the only one who seems to find it mysterious?" A grumpy sigh escaped as he rubbed the back of his head. He continued on his way, lifting his pad back up, but not taking in any information.

It was…concerning. Not just being whisked away to some island, but the things he did and did not remember. Back when he'd woken up, he'd been more preoccupied with Izuru's sudden manifestation than his messed up memories. Afterwards, he'd been running around meeting classmates, and becoming increasingly paranoid over Izuru's vague warnings. Now he had time to think though, his memories were…concerning.

 _On one hand, I know I attended Hope's Peak for at least a little while, he crossed his arms in thought. However, everyone else seems to be acting as if we'd never met each other before. I mean, I don't remember any of them either, but I can't exactly remember anything specific from my time there either. But still, shouldn't someone have said something already?_

 _And of course there's my talent..._

Quickly enough a fence appeared on his left, behind which he spotted sparkling water, and eventually, neat rows of small, cute cottages.

"Finally, that felt like that took forever." Hajime sighed tiredly.

 **It didn't help you took one of the longest routes possible.**

 _What are you muttering about now?_

 **If you would bother to look at the one useful part of that irritating tablet, you would find a map.**

 _What are you talking about –_

"Oh." Hajime blinked at the map that popped up on his screen. The island clearly depicted five locations; the market, the airport, the ranch and finally, the structure up ahead.

 **You were so distracted when you left the ranch you retraced our steps, walking right past the beach area, before reaching the airport and going clockwise from there. If I didn't already have such low standards for humanity, I might actually be disappointed in you, Hajime.**

Hajime made an indignant noise in the back of his throat and tried to swallow the rising shame. If he was going to have a hypocritical asshole in the back of his mind the entire time, this would be a long trip.

Eventually, he came to stand at a set of gates. Stepping through them cautiously, he glanced side to side. He was on a wooden boardwalk, set atop a body of calm, crystal blue water. The path branched a few meters from the entrance, a new pathway sprouting from both the left and the right. A quick peek revealed the same cottages he'd spotted before lining the new paths, each with a little mailbox and everything. When scanning the lines of houses (boys to the left, girls to the right, it seemed) revealed no new people, he continued forward.

Passing the cottages brought him in front of a large pool, beyond which sat a double story building with a grand entrance, and a set of stairs on one exploring the new building wasn't a particularly pressing issue, Hajime decided, as he watched an incredible scene unfolding before his eyes. Unlike the water surrounding the cottages, the water in the pool was not calm. In fact, it was only his sharp reflexes and a dash of luck that he was able to jump back in a timely fashion to avoid a wave of water, almost tripping backwards as he did. As the spray settled, two individuals were revealed standing waist deep in the half empty space, water lapping at their midriffs. The two faced each other for a second, before lunging forward and…wrestling?!

 _They don't even have swimsuits on! What the heck?!_

"Ha ha…Is that all you've got…old man…" a woman puffed heavily as her arms strained. She wore a mischievous grin and a tight, white shirt. She stood to Hajime's right, in what he assumed was the shallow end of the pool. Matching arms with her was what Hajime could best describe as a mountain of a man; he too, grinned viciously.

"You're doing well," he praised. "However, in a setting such as this, where you can't use your legs to their full strength, you're at a disadvantage. You've been neglecting your arms." He advised calmly,

"Neglected?" the woman yelped. Her eyes flashed in anger and she grimaced. Arms straining, it quickly gave way to smug confidence. "Whatever, I'll take you down anyway, old man!" she declared, laughing. The man simply gave his own laugh in response.

Hajime stood at the entrance, mouth agape. "What on earth…?"

Another large splash had him jumping back in shock, trying desperately to avoid the veritable avalanche of water being flung his way. Water still managed to soak his left arm and shoe, but otherwise he came out unscathed. Once the spray come again settled, it was revealed the large man had managed to secure the woman in a head lock, while she flailed and struggled.

"Damn it…" she huffed. "I can't get a grip…!"

"HAHA HAH!" the man boomed. "Do you concede?" he asked with a sharp grin.

The woman sighed. "Yeah, I concrete, or whatever." The mountainous man nodded and released the woman from the headlock. Both slowly made their way towards the pool edge, pulling themselves on the tiles, dripping wet. Hajime noted that the pool water was barely lapping at the halfway mark and cringed at the amount of force that would have been needed to forcefully remove a couple hundred litres of water.

 _They're like monsters. Is this an Ultimate?_

 **This is fairly typical of athletic Ultimates. The description of 'monster' might not be too far off.**

The man grabbed a towel Hajime hadn't realised was hanging on a nearby pool chair, before turning and catching sight of Hajime hovering by the poolside.

"Oh? And who might you be?"

Hajime jumped slightly at the booming call and swivelled to face the approaching mass of muscle.

"Ah, I'm Hajime Hinata, nice to meet you." Hajime said cautiously. _He's huge! Are we sure he's just a high school student?!_

"Hold it right there!" the man roared. Hajime flinched and resisted the urge to squeak. _Get it together, me!_

"Your voice is too soft!" the man continued, "Let it rise from the bottom of your stomach! Now, who the hell do you think you are?!"

"Hajime Hinata, sir!" Hajime yelled back. _I tacked on the sir without thinking about it…_ Hajime faintly felt a swirl of amusement from Izuru brushing against his mind.

 _Shut up._

The feeling grew.

"Gah ha ha!" the man laughed, breaking Hajime from his reverie. "Better! Much better! Now, I suppose I too should introduce myself! I AM NEKOMARU NIDAI! I AM THE ULTIMATE TEAM MANAGER!"

"Nice to meet you, I guess. That was a pretty intense battle you were having, huh?" Hajime replied, glancing at the pool.

"Indeed! It was a fantastic warm up!"

 _WARM UP?_

"A warm up, huh?" Hajime said jokingly.

"Hmm…" the man hummed. Hajime blinked in surprise. The boisterous team manager had gone quiet and seemed to be staring at Hajime; or more specifically, Hajime's chest. The man continued to stare with an intensity that made Hajime feel as if he could melt from the laser-like gaze. The man stepped forward suddenly and grabbed Hajime by the arm, feeling from the shoulder to his wrist.

"O-oi!" he protested. _What the hell is he doing? Just staring at my chest like that and then grabbing me by the arm? Why do I feel so self-conscious? Is this what girls feel like around perverts? No, no, get a grip, Hajime! There's a perfectly reasonable explanation for this. Right Izuru? Izuru?!_

"You have a good physique, Hajime," the coach said eventually, releasing him.

"…Thanks?" Hajime responded carefully.

"You're not out of shape, but you don't seem to be doing any special training at the moment, am I right?"

"No, you're right. I don't really do any sports or anything." Hajime admitted. _I'm too busy with school, work and homework. I can barely fit in a short trip to the gym, let alone actual sports. I just don't have the time._

"You would do well as a footballer," Nekomaru suddenly declared. "You have the build and shoulders for it. People always expect footballers to be mounds of muscle, but they're wrong. The best ones are quick and lithe, with a solid edge. Yes, you'd make a fantastic footballer! Hajime! Should you ever feel the wish to join the football league, please don't hesitate to inform me. I'll whip you into shape any time! Gah ha ha!"

So that's what he was doing. "I'll keep it in mind. Thanks."

Looking around, Hajime found the rest of the courtyard deserted; the tanned woman from before was nowhere to be found. She must have gone inside.

 **Fantastic deduction.**

 _Is your only purpose to make sarcastic comments on everything I do?!_

 **The concept of a 'purpose' is for small minded people who cannot comprehend a world without order. As for my actions, I am very bored, and mildly annoyed at the situation.**

 _Of course you have some sort of nonsense reason. So? What's the go to with the coach?_

Skirting around the pool, Hajime came to a stop in front of the hotel. There were two sets of stairs; a set attached to the left of the building which went directly to the second floor, and a second, smaller set of stairs that led to a grand entranceway on the bottom floor. Hajime decided to enter through the foyer first, and make his way up to the second floor later. Pushing open the double doors, he felt a cool rush of air conditioning hit him as he entered.

Blinking to adjust his eyes to the relative darkness, he stepped inside. Two people occupied the room. The first was a short boy, blonde hair cut in a short buzzcut. He was resting casually in a sofa in the for corner of the room. By some sort of ease of practice, the pinstripe suit he wore didn't seemed creased in the slightest, even though the closed eyes suggested he'd been there for quite some time.

 **Nekomaru Nidai...It goes without saying, but he is very powerful. I may even have trouble taking him down in a one on one situation; I doubt very few people could here could take him down. He is more likely to be a victim.**

 _Hey, hang on, didn't you just say that he'd be hard to take down? What's up with that?_

The other was a frankly imposing woman with long silver hair. She wore a sailor-style school uniform, and a kendo bag on her back. She was leaning over a table and seemed to be examining it with some curiosity. At Hajime's entrance, her eyes flickered his way and she seemed to twitch.

 **If you'd let me finish, he is unlikely to be thrown into a panic or coerced into murder-**

 _Again with that!_

 **-and his sense of chivalry means he won't expect a stealthy assassination. He will likely go down easily with a dose of poison, given the dosage is high enough. He is unlikely to murder anyone personally, but is not what I'd call a useful ally.**

Since the other boy seemed fast asleep, Hajime decided to approach the intimidating woman first, and stepped forwards, keeping quiet. This time, her hand definitely twitched, and Hajime watched her warily. Something about this woman sent warning bells off in his head, but he approached anyway.

 **You have some sense, after all.**

The woman's eyes raked his body up and down before relaxing minutely. She gave him a nod, an acknowledgement. With a glance to sleeping boy, Hajime dropped his voice to a whisper.

"Hi, I'm just going around introducing myself." He explained quietly.

The woman blinked slowly. "I see," she said. Her voice was low and rich but held a note of disinterest. "In that case, nice to meet you. I am Peko Pekoyama, the Ultimate Swordswoman."

 _Peko Pekoyama? Why would anyone…?_

As if sensing his thoughts, she shot him a glare.

"I'm Hajime Hinata, nice to meet you. I don't actually remember my talent right now," he admitted. Peko raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.

"I see." She said.

With that, Hajime felt the conversation was over. He glanced over to the sleeping boy, only to feel a chilly glare on his back.

 _Guess I'll leave him alone…_

 **Peko Pekoyama…a woman of unyielding loyalty and skill. Procuring her as an ally would be extraordinarily difficult, but perhaps not impossible.**

 _Is that praise? Coming from you?_

 **It is rare that a human will deny their own wants and desires for the sake of another. It makes her predictable, yes, but a curiosity.**

 _Is it really that rare?_

 **Helpless romantics pretend true love conquers all, Hajime, but that is a lie. In times of absolute peril, between choosing the life of another or of your own, when complete terror consumes, very few humans would willingly give themselves up for another.**

 _Well that was pessimistic._

 **I'm a realist.**

Spotting a set of stairs at the back of the room, Hajime ascended to the top floor. The sudden stream of sunlight made him squint, and he glanced around at the new area. The top floor appeared to be a restaurant, with a distinct tropical theme. Glass windows filled two of the four walls, and the sparkling ocean could be seen in the distance. Cool air conditioning was present in this room as well, and the space was filled with small sets of tables and chairs. The stairs from outside seemed to lead to an entrance on the wall behind him, and a set of double doors installed in the wall to his left suggested that was the kitchen space. In front of those, Hajime spotted a small group of three people, including the woman from outside.

He approached them cautiously. The other Ultimates so far had been erratic in their responses and personality, and he hadn't had good experiences with groups so far.

"Hello?" He called.

"Hmph. And who might you be?" A large man turned to face him, watery blue eyes peering from behind square spectacles. Flat blonde hair was cut short, and a scowl pulled at his impressively chubby cheeks.

"Yeah, I haven't seen you before." The other new stranger also commented. She had a shock of fire red hair, along with a smattering of freckles and soft green eyes. Her gaze was judgemental, and she posed with her hands on her hips.

"Hang on," she paused. "Aren't you the guy who passed out on the beach?"

"That's me…" Hajime mumbled.

"I was wondering when I'd see you around. I wouldn't of left you all alone if I knew it'd take you so long to wake up," she sighed.

"I'm actually pretty surprised I didn't get sunburnt," Hajime said absently, poking his face. "I must've been tired, I guess."

"Hmph. Taking a nap is completely different. If you have time to sleep, you should be helping exploring the island!" She scolded.

 _That was the wrong thing for me to say. Geez, she's kinda snappy._

"What is your name, then?" The large man interrupted.

"Right. My name is Hajime Hinata. Nice to meet you."

"Hajime Hinata. Two of the most common names in Japan, forming an indistinct common name. Hmm. Your family basically named you John Smith." The man smirked.

"Umm...thanks?"

 _I don't get what the second part meant, but I think I was just insulted._

 **You were.**

The man continued, "I am Byakyua Togami, heir of the Togami corporation. I am the Utlimate Heir. Pleased to meet your acquaintance, I suppose."

Hajime heard Izuru sigh in the back of his mind.

 _What's up?_

 **What a fantastically over the top performance.**

 _Byakyua is pretty tame for an Ultimate, though._

 **…**

 _Izuru?_

Izuru didn't reply, and Hajime got the feeling the silence felt frustrated, almost sulky. Or maybe that was Izuru's emotions and he was finally getting the hang of this split personality thing.

 _Shit. I'm not supposed to 'get a hang of' a split personality. This is a bad situation!_

"Hajime?" He blinked at the call of his name. The redhead frowned.

"Are you okay?" You kind of spaced out there. I'm trying to introduce myself."

"Sorry," he apologised,

She sighed. "I'm Mahiru Koizumi. My title is the Ultimate Photographer," she said, raising the camera Hajime hadn't initially noticed to eye level. "I hope we can get along," she finished cordially.

"So you guys finished chatting of whatever?" The woman in the white shirt suddenly appeared. Hajime blinked in shock; he hadn't realised, but she had disappeared when he'd originally approached, rummaging in the kitchen, judging by the crumbs scattered around her mouth.

"This is Hajime Hinata," Mahiru introduced him before he could get a chance to speak. "He was the guy who passed out on the beach when he arrived. Hajime, this is Akane Owari. She's the Ultimate Gymnast."

Akane lifted an apple to her mouth and took a bite. "Nicth t' meeth you!" she munched. Swallowing, she wiped her mouth with the back of her arm. "Hey, you look like you've got some muscle," she began with a grin. She cracked her knuckles and leaned in. "Wanna fight?"

"Ah, no thank you." Hajime turned down. "I saw your fight with Nekomaru outside. You'd probably flatten me."

"You saw that?" she brightened. "It was awesome, wasn't it? Just cause I lost, doesn't mean I'll lose next time though! You just watch, I'll beat the old man yet! I just gotta get some more training in!" she yelled. She bounced on the balls of her feet, a childish glee infusing her body. Water dripped as she bounced, and Hajime took a small step back. His shoe was still wet, and his foot was now freezing. Wet sock + air conditioning is not a good mix.

"Shouldn't you dry off?" He asked. "You're, uh, still really wet. Didn't you bring a towel?"

"Nah," she said. She ran a finger through her brown locks. They were tangled after the rough up in the water, and the neck length hair was beginning to curl. Her white shirt, already pulled tight against her bust, was practically see through, and Hajime pointedly looked away, focusing instead on the tan skin and brown eyes of her face.

"I'll dry off eventually," she waved off. "I was just grabbing some food, is all."

"By the way, Hajime," Mahiru asked. "What's your talent?" She had her tablet up, and was scrolling with her finger. "It just lists you as the Ultimate ?"

"Yeah, I know. Honestly, I don't actually remember. I just thought maybe I'd hit my head pretty hard when I fainted on the beach, but with my profile like that, I'm wondering if it was deliberate."

"Deliberate?" Byakyua asked sharply. "What gives you that idea? Tampering with memories is in the realm of science fiction. And something like a talent would be difficult to purposefully suppress."

"Not necessarily," Mahiru said thoughtfully, "Things like hypnotism are real, so it's a possibility."

"Why on earth would Hope's Peak bother altering a students memories on a school trip? Our purpose here is to become closer as classmates, nothing more." Byakyua huffed.

Hajime frowned, thinking. _I forgot, to everyone else this is just a school trip. Yeah, it certainly started off weird, but Ultimates are pretty good at adapting. I've been treating everything as malicious because of my missing memories, and Izuru's mutterings of murder and killing. Why would Hope's Peak erase or hide my memories?_

"I don't know," he finally replied. "I better get going, though. I lost a lot of time on the beach, and there's still…" he checked his tablet. "One more person to meet. Excluding the guy sleeping downstairs."

"You didn't try and wake him up did you?" Mahiru said worriedly.

"No, why?" he blinked.

"That's Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, the Ultimate Gangster, he's the heir of the Japanese mafia. Waking him up is like having a death wish."

"Ah," he replied faintly.

"I'll see you around, then," Mahiru said. "You seem...fairly normal compared to most of the guys on this island, so I'll be counting on you in the future, okay?"

"Thanks, I guess?"

"Hmph. I will see you at lunch, or something similar," Byakyua huffed, before stomping off.

 _I guess that's his goodbye?_

"Yeah, bye Harry!" Akane called, before making her own way out the front entrance.

 _She didn't even remember my name…_

Giving a nod to Mahiru, Hajime made his way out the restaurant via the outside exit, trotting down the stairs on the outside of the hotel. He flipped open the map, studying it.

 **I suppose you'll want my analysis?**

Hajime rolled his eyes.

 _Your 'analysis' is reliant on the scenario that people would have a reason, to you know, kill each other. Technically, there's no reason I have to listen to them at all. I'm probably just going insane._

 **…**

You're gonna tell me anyway, aren't you?

 **Mahiru Kozumi is weak. She has no physical advantage, nor mental one. Her talent is all but useless in this situation. She is paranoid and sceptical of men, likely from some sort of situation in her family. She would make an easy victim for a woman, though I do not put it past her to murder out of panic or pressure.**

 _That's a cutting review._

 **Byakuya Togami...the man you met today is self conscious, paranoid, and physically unfit. I am hesitant to label him either a murderer or a victim, though I lean towards the latter. As the heir to a ruthless corporate conglomerate, Byuakua Togami should reflect that. He should be ruthless, borderline sociopathic and competitive in nature. The man you met today however, is much nicer than he seems, and nowhere near as dangerous as he should be.**

 _I feel like there's something important you're trying to tell me, Izuru. Either you're trying to suggest that the man I just met isn't Byakuya Togami, or that he somehow beat the odds and actually salvaged his moral compass despite his upbringing. I am really hoping it's the latter._

Skimming the map, Hajime noticed a bridge marked on the map, he and vaguely remembered passing it in his walk. He began making his way, allowing himself to jog lightly towards his destination as Izuru rambled.

 **And of course, Akane Owari. She is physically fit, and her backgrounds means she is used to the fight for survival. I would pin her as a murderer, rather than a victim. She would require serious pressure before she buckled, and would more likely commit a crime of passion than a planned murder.**

Hajime slowed at the entrance of the bridge, and stepped lightly onto the wooden boards. The bridge was sturdy, and extended into the distance, with an indistinct blob green settled at the end. He made his way across slowly, feeling the salty sea breeze whistle through his thin white shirt.

 _And? What about Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu?_

 **You want to know if the Ultimate Gangster, otherwise known as the Ultimate Mafia heir, is liable to kill someone? What a strange question.**

 _Stop being a smartass. I wouldn't have pinned Nekomaru as a potential victim in whatever scenario you're running, so how would I know?_

 **The situation with Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu is complicated. If he wished to kill someone, he would likely have his assassin, Peko, kill them in his stead, which would defeat the purpose.**

 _The purpose of what?_

 **And similarly, he would be difficult to kill because of that same reason. He has a deadly bodyguard, excluding his own combat abilities. Whether he'll be a victim or a killer is difficult to predict; the outcome will be interesting.**

 _Okay, hang on, did you say Peko Pekoyama was his bodyguard and what. His assassin? She's another Ultimate, what's the chance they know each other?_

 **I have more memories, and am just generally smarter than you could ever hope to be. They are partners, and her loyalty belongs to him alone. Which is why she is difficult to procure as an ally.**

 _But…_

 **She was guarding him why he slept, Hajime. How much more obvious do you need it to be.**

 _When you put it like that…_

Hajime stepped off onto the rich soil of what was marked as the central island on the map. He made his way along the path, circling a dense jungle, listening to the silence and the waves.

 _We just have to find one more, right?_

 **Yes. I do wonder who it will be.**

 _I thought you had all the memories. You seem to recognise everyone so far._

 **Correct, but we have met everyone part of your...class. I can think of maybe four pre-existing people that would make sense in this scenario. Unfortunately, two are dead, one is missing, and the other would make this scenario boring. So it is likely a completely random Ultimate I would have not met before.**

 _I see...wait, dead?! What kind of memories of you have?!_

Hajime rounded the final corner, spotting an opening in the jungle. He stepped down the path, which ended in a wide open space after just a few meters. A giant statue took centre place in the circular clearing. It was solid stone, and was comprised of five creatures. A snake, a snarling tiger, a man on horseback and finally an eagle were all curled around one another, standing at more than four meters tall.

Small benches dotted the edges of the clearing, and Hajime spotted a girl sitting on one to his right. He made his way over slowly. He made it until he was a few meters away before he could make out what she was doing. The girl had soft pink hair with a small hair pin Hajime recognised from the old style video game Galaga.

"Hello," he called. The girl didn't respond. He realised the girl was hunching over something, and studied her hands. She was holding a hand held game console, and was completely engrossed. Anxiety began to claw at his stomach, though he couldn't fanthom why.

"Hey," he called again, louder this time. He took another step forward, when the girl glanced up. His world stopped.

Soft pink eyes, pale skin, a sleepy expression… a name popped into his head without permission.

 _ **Nanami.**_

"Oh, hello," she yawned. "We haven't met yet, have we?"

Hajime stared in silence.

"I'm Nanami Chiaki. What's your name?" she smiled.

Emotions swirled heavily. Hajime couldn't tell if they were his or Izurus, but it made him nauseous.

 _Calm down!_

Izurus emotions lashed out like a snake, and Hajime caught a taste; confusion, frustration, _hurt._

Nanami continued to stare at Hajime placidly, her brows slowly furrowing as she watched the boy struggle. Noticing this. Hajime opened his mouth.

 _Say something, anything-_

"Is that a Galaga hair pin?" he blurted.

 _Idiot. That's not even important!_

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise, and her eyes suddenly filled with life. "You recognise it?" she gasped. "It's pretty old school, so I'm surprised anyone recognised it. Do you play?" she asked.

"A little," he managed in reply. "I've beaten the game maybe nine times? I used to love it as a kid."

"No way, really? I've only managed to beat it thirteen times, and sometimes I still revisit it for fun. It's so exciting to find another fan." she enthused. "What's your name?"

"M-me? I'm uh, I'm Hajime Hinata. Nice to meet you." Izurus emotions began to settle slowly like muddy water.

"Have we met before?" Hajime asked. He couldn't remember her at all, but the familiarity was strong, and the the sense of déjà vu was at least his, and not Izuru's.

Nanami's mouth opened in a small 'o'. A series of emotions passed over her face; surprise and shock, concern, puzzlement and finally a soft smile. "I don't think either of us have personally met before," she answered, "Would you like to play? I've got a Legend if Zelda port on my console I've been playing since this morning."

"Sure, I guess." Hajime answered cautiously. He returned the soft smile Nanami sent him and began to relax.

 **So that's what they did.** Izuru's mental voice was thick with suppressed emotion.

 _Izuru?_

 **It is not important. Nanami would never kill anyone, so she is likely to end up a victim. If you would like to see her safe, you may need to protect her yourself, as she is physically weak, and too trusting.**

 _Izuru._

But Izuru was silent.

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Sorry for the long upload gap. For your patience, you get an extra long chapter! In other news, planning takes a long time, I forgot how to write, I entered another fandom and started writing another fic and really really hates me. So, since I'm writing this for the third time: starting to accept free time requests, leave feedback in reviews if you want, follow on tumblr at britishluxray to ask me questions, ask for drabbles, or god praise be, send fanart or whatever. I am trying to write all the characters fairly and true to form, so if you see something OOC, i sincerely apologise. Hello to the massive number of new followers this story has, and I'll see you next time!


	5. Sandcastles (Prologue end!)

Frankly, Hajime had a fantastic time playing with Chiaki. For about 5 minutes. Then the screens stationed around the clearing and assumedly the rest of the islands, flared to life.

"H-Hewwo?"

Hajime jerked back in surprise, turning to stare at the now activated devices. The portable console sat in his hands, forgotten. To his surprise the screen was occupied by…a pink plush rabbit?

 _Right, that must be Usami._

 **Acute observation. It's not like you met her on the beach less than an hour ago.**

 _Do you ever shut up?_

"Hello everyone! I'm glad to see everyone's getting along so far! To celebrate settling in, please meet me on the beach for a special surprise!"

"Looks like Usami want us to meet the beach," Chiaki mused aloud. Hajime glanced at her.

"We should probably head off, right?"

"Yeah," she sighed.

The two pulled themselves off the bench, Chiaki rubbing her eyes sleepily. They began the walk across the bridge, the pacing slow as the gamer girl meandered across.

 _We're totally going to be the last ones there._

But Hajime kept quiet anyway, sparing glances at the girl next to him, making sure she didn't fall asleep mid step, or, god forbid, fall off the bridge entirely.

Izuru was stull conspicuously silent since his last jab back in the clearing.

 _Izuru?_

 **What is it?**

 _Your reaction…I haven't known you for very long, but I don't think you usually react like that to meeting new people. Did you know Chiaki? From before this? I still don't know who you are, because your explanation basically made no sense whatsoever, but you seem to know what's going on. Is she important?_

 **…No. I didn't know her. Not technically. But yes. Yes she was.**

Hajime didn't know how to respond to that and continued to walk in silence.

Eventually the two (three, if he counted Izuru) arrived on the first island and made their way down onto the beach. As expected, everyone had already arrived before them, shifting and glaring at the sand as they waited. Usami was nowhere in sight.

"About time!" huffed Byakuya. "Where on earth were you two? We've been waiting here for well over five minutes. The island is quite small, I can't imagine it would have taken you that much time."

Hajime offered a muttered apology, rubbing the back of his neck. Chiaki smiled lightly, and there was a sudden flash of moment. An explosion of white light and sparkles appeared above the sand, and from it out jumped a pink, plush bunny.

"Hi-ya!" she called. People had varying reactions. From a muttered oath (Byakuya) to a screech (Ibuki) to a full out scream (is Kazuichi's vocal cords okay?), the general response was surprise and panic. Usami ignored all this and continued to speak anyway. "I'm glad everyone made it. I don't think I've properly introduced myself to everyone here, so I'll do that now! I'm Usami, the magical bunny girl! With a wave of my magical stick, I can make dreams come true! I hope we can all get along for the rest of our heart pounding school trip!"

Mahiru recovered first, taking a small step forward. After a quick measuring glance up and down the rabbit, she spoke. **"** So, what's the surprise?" she questioned.

"Right!" Usami perked up, swinging her wand in the air. "I guess everyone is excited for my super special surprise! Well, here it is! Ta-da! Limited edition magical girl Usami straps!" With a wave and a flash, 16 bright pink phone straps popped into existed, and were flung towards the students. Hajime grabbed his out the air as it approached, before opening his fist to study the bright pink monstrosity more closely.

 _Are we…supposed to be pleased about these? They're so ugly!_

"I hope everyone liked their surprise! I made them myself!" Usami cheered, giving a quick twirl.

"Why the _hell_ would I be happy with this shit?!" A new voice cut through the confusion and made Usami cower. A short, blonde haired boy in a pinstripe suit shoved his way to the front, fist curled angrily around the Usami strap.

"Fu-Fuyuhiko!" Usami squeaked nervously. "What's wrong? You don't like it?"

"Tch." Fuyuhiko glared down at the plush bunny. "I don't want this damn strap. I want some answers. You just whisked us away out of nowhere, pulling some bullshit magic trick, claiming we're on this island for some sort of school trip? I don't think so." The mafia's eyes narrowed. "I mean, I accepted that excuse at first, because Hope's Peak is known for some over the top stuff, but after sleeping on it, I realised that doesn't make sense at all!"

"W-what do you mean?" Usami responded nervously.

"There's never been anything like this listed in the records, for one." He snarled. "And second, I don't remember agreeing to no school trip. Especially not to some island in the middle of fuck-knows-where! And I damn-well don't believe my family would ever have let me leave without having been asked permission." His eyes narrowed, and a small smirk fluttered on his lips. "Unless you didn't ask? Do you have a death wish or something?"

"H-Hey," Hajime stuttered, surprising even himself. "That's going a bit far, don't you think?"

The boy turned sharply, a menacing gleam in his eyes. "And who the fuck are you?" he demanded, eyes raking him up and down.

"H-Hajime Hinata." He gulped. "I don't think we've properly introduced." _That's right, he was the guy taking a nap in the lobby!_

 **You only realised that now? I was almost surprised for a moment, I didn't think you were suicidal. No, you're just impressively dull, as always.**

 _We've known each for maybe an hour or two! And shut up! What was his talent again?_

"Huh. You're that guy who passed out on the beach earlier, yeah?" the boy grinned. "The name's Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu. I'm the Ultimate Yakuza."

 _…Fuck._

 **Language.**

 **"** So what?" Fuyuhiko sneered, ambling towards him. "You don't like my attitude? You're gonna what? Stop me? I'd like to see that." He added, looking Hajime up and down.

 _Well now I'm just offended._

Hajime remained silent, unsure of how to respond. He didn't want to make Fuyuhiko angrier, but the feel of the eyes of every other student there made him want to stand his ground. He wasn't a coward, damn it!

Before any serious incidents could occur, however, Usami's shrill voice cut through the tension. "Enough! The purpose of the school trip is to become closer friends with one another, not to fight!"

Usami coughed lightly, before quieting her voice. "So please, try and get along."

"Tch." Fuyuhiko grumbled. He turned, digging his hands into his pockets and relaxing into a slouch. "Whatever. I'll figure it out eventually."

"So now that everyone has their straps, how about we have some fun?" Usami continued brightly.

"Fun?" Ibuki gasped.

"Fun sounds good!" Kazuichi added excitedly.

"Hmph. Have you all already forgotten the task at hand?" Byakuya demanded. "The yakuza is right; this situation as it stands is unacceptable and very suspicious!"

"R-Relax, dude," Kazuichi said. "Look, it's a school trip. We're on a beautiful island with hot chicks. Besides, it's not like can do anything about it right now; while we're here we may as well go with the flow!"

"Kazuichi is right," Nagito pitched in smoothly. "An opportunity like this doesn't come along often. Usami, you said something about fun? What did you have in mind?"

"What else? We have beautiful white sand and a deep blue ocean right hewe! Let's go for a swim! Here, I have swimsuits for everyone!" And with that she waved her wand and a pile of black school issue swimsuits popped into existence.

"Oh, hell yeah!" Akane whooped. "I ran the whole way here, I'm hot as hell! Let me at 'em!" Before anyone could so much as say a word, so darted forward, snagging a female swimsuit off the pile and took off in the direction of the closet building.

"Wait for me!"

"Oh my…I can't miss out on an opportunity like this!"

"Ah! Traditional school swimsuits! We do not have these back in home country. I must try one on!"

And with that, Kazuichi, Teruteru and Sonia also grabbed swimsuits and headed off to get changed.

"H-Hang on…" Hajime stuttered. He had so many things he wanted to say. Were they really just going to off like this? What about the fact they've been basically kidnapped? What about the way all the ways off the island have been conveniently dismantled? What was this pit of anxiety that sat in his stomach like a rock? What about Izuru's ominous warnings?

"Hmph. Fine. There is not much we can do at present, that much is true, I suppose. However, I shall not be participating in this event." With that Byakuya turned around and stomped off, resting beneath the set of palm trees on the beach. Chattering began to swell as the different students began to grab their respective suits and wandered off. Eventually, the only ones left on the beach were Hajime, Peko, Fuyuhiko, Chiaki, Hiyoko and Byakuya, accompanied by Usami of course.

Hiyoko was quick to poke out her tongue at the rest of the group. "Just cause I'm not swimming doesn't mean I'm hanging with you losers. Squishing Mr Crab is more fun instead! See ya!" and with that she scuttled off down the beach, giggling manically. Hajime glanced around the clearing. Fuyuhiko stood awkwardly, arms crossed. Peko stood a few meters away from him, shooting him a glance every so often. Byakuya sat under the tree, eyes closed, and Usami stood humming to herself, waiting for the students to return. He turned to Chiaki to find her snoring softly, still standing on the sand.

"Chiaki?" he called softly. She awoke with a jolt, bringing up a hand to rub at her eyes.

"Mhhmm? Yes, Hajime?" she murmured sleepily. Hajime felt a strange jolt go through him at the sound of his name falling from those lips sleepily.

"A-Are you going swimming?" he asked awkwardly.

Chiaki shook her head. "I'm feeling a bit tired," she murmured. "It'd be bad if I fell asleep while sleeping."

"Ah yeah…that'd be very bad." He agreed.

"I'm going to take a nap for a bit," she said with a yawn. And with that her head rolled forward and the sound of soft snores recommenced.

"All right then," he said to himself. He hung awkwardly at Chiaki's side, looking around anxiously. The ominous feeling just wouldn't dissipate and he couldn't bring himself to just go swimming like the others. In his glancing, he managed to accidentally catch Peko's eye. They stared at each other for a moment. The swordswoman hesitated, seeming to ponder something, shooting a glance at Fuyuhiko before seeming to straighten her shoulders. She approached in measured strides, poker face in place. Hajime waited for her approach curiously, shifting in the sand. She finally reached him, and paused silently. Finally, she spoke.

"I believe we weren't able to have a proper conversation the first time we met," she said shortly, arms crossed.

"It was pretty short," Hajime acknowledged carefully. Peko still gave him the jitters. It probably had something to do with the sword on her back, the way her fingers were always twitching readily, how her posture alw **ays rested on the balls of her feet, ready to lunge into action, the way -** Hajime shook his head lightly, shaken. For a moment, his thoughts hadn't quite been his own. It was almost like they'd started to sound like –

"-alright?"

He jumped. "Um, w-what? I mean, what did you say sorry, I missed that." He apologised hurriedly. Peko had a concerned look on her face and seemed to be studying his face. He felt himself flush in embarrassment but attempted to maintain eye contact anyway.

"I asked whether you were quite alright." She said slowly. "You were quite shaken when we arrived earlier today. You appeared to have calmed down during your explorations, but you look quite sick at this moment. Is there something on your mind?" She said the last part awkwardly, as if the words weren't quite natural.

Hajime chewed on his lip for a moment before exhaling heavily. "Don't you think this is all too suspicious?" he ended up blurting. Peko raised an eyebrow.

"Of course. Both the manner and circumstances around our arrival, are, for one, very suspicious." She allowed. Seeing the look on Hajime's face, however, she quickly amended her statement. "However, as our classmates said previously, there is not much we can do at present. While I do not agree frolicking in the surf is the appropriate course of action;" she paused. "I agree that perhaps relaxing and bonding with our new classmates would be in our best interests."

"About that," Hajime mumbled. He glanced at her face, searching her eyes. "You don't…recognise anyone here, do you?" Peko stiffened suddenly, and Hajime instincts screamed at him to run. She glared at him warily.

"Not beyond the descriptions provided in the forums," she said coldly. "Is there a reason you ask?"

Hajime sighed again. "You're going to think I'm mad," he admitted. "But I just. I could have _sworn_ that I already attended Hope's Peak before now. Or, I already started at some point? Either way, I can't remember anything clearly, and I can't even remember the reason why I was admitted. I just have this horrible feeling that something bad is going to happen. Everyone seems to just want to go with the flow, but I think something is wrong." He paused. "No, I _know_ something is wrong." He corrected. "But like you said, I can't do anything about it. It's driving me nuts." He drooped tiredly.

Peko studied him curiously. "What you're saying…It sounds like you believe yours, and by extension, everyone's memory has been altered."

"I-I know it sounds far-fetched, crazy even-" he began.

"It is fine." She interrupted. "It is far-fetched as you say, and I can't say I believe you, but I will certainly keep it in mind. You do not look like someone who would lie, Hajime, and you certainly seem to believe what you're saying. In fact, I see intelligence behind those eyes. I will take your warning seriously. I thank you." And with that, she turned away and began her walk back to her original place. Hajime gaped after her for a moment, before straightening himself.

"That went better than expected," he muttered. The sound of screaming made him jerk harshly, and he saw Peko brace on the other side of the beach. He relaxed quickly when he realized the sound was that of a dozen or so teenagers running down the path towards the ocean, already shoving and laughing and they ploughed through the sand, launching themselves towards the sparkling water. Another set of screams filled the air as they touched the chilly water, splashing each other with their hands. Nekomaru laughed uproariously, while Teruteru flitted back and forth drooling at the number of attractive bodies glistening in the sunlight.

Hajime smiled at the sight. Everyone…they looked like they were having fun. It was tempting. So very tempting. Perhaps, if he didn't have these butchered remnants he was sure were memories, and if Izuru's warnings didn't rig in his head, he wold join them. And even so, maybe he hit his head? Maybe Izuru was a construct of his imagination? What if he was wrong? He wanted to be wrong. But he couldn't bring himself to believe it. Not now. So he lowered himself to the sand and smiled, unmoving, without grabbing anything from the pile of swimsuits as he watched the others frolic in the waves. Eventually the group began to exit the water, one by one, dripping wet and flopped on the warm sand. Eventually someone yelled something about a sandcastle competition and all hell broke loose. Teams of three and four formed on the sand as students scrambled to get the best team and most sand. Nekomaru was able to scrape up a ridiculous large amount into a formless lump, while Akane did her best on another team to match him. Gundham created intricate tunnels in his team's castle, as the Dark Devas tunnelled carefully through the structure, with Sonia looking on, instructing on the proper architecture for a proper castle. Kazuichi made the mistake of calling out.

"Hey, Fuyuhiko or whatever, want to join our team? We're one short!"

"Do I look like a child?!" Fuyuhiko snarled in response. "Do it yourself!"

Kazuichi flinched hard, and turned away, tears in his eyes as he focused back on the sandcastle silently. Hajime watched them for a while, feeling left out. Swimming had felt like a bad idea; getting changed into a thin swimsuit, stuck in the ocean. It made him feel vulnerable. But maybe, since he was already on the sand, as long as he tried to keep it out of his shoes…? He made a decision, and took a couple of tentative steps.

"Hey, uh, Kazuichi was it?" he called out. The pink haired boy raised his head in shock, swivelling his way.

"Y-Yeah, what's up?"

"Uh, you said you're one short, right? Do you mind if I join?" Hajime asked carefully.

Kazuichi brightened instantaneously. "Hell yeah, dude! Get over here!"

Hajime trotted over with a grin and settled down to help build…whatever this amalgamation was. The sandcastle, if it could be called that, accurately represented the mess that was the group. It appeared to host all the leftover students, unwanted from other groups, consisting of Kazuichi, Teruteru and Nagito. All three boys seemed pleased at his presence as he carefully settled on the sand, Teruteru proclaiming some flirtatious declaration, Kazuichi patting him on the back and even Nagito sent a bright smile his way. Apparently the sandcastle was a mess because none of the three could agree on what they were actually building. Kazuichi insisted on some sort of mecha-style robot, Teruteru went on about building a statue of a woman, and Nagito suggested, as non-confronting as possible, that they build a copy of Hope's Peak. Hajime just shrugged when he was asked to give his opinion. The only feature they agreed upon was a deep and broad moat surround the indistinguishable lump of sand. Of course, once completed, the arguments started again.

"How about we grab some shells to decorate?" Hajime suggested desperately, as a form of peace keeping. The three glanced at each other and agreed, murmuring.

"Whatever. I'm staying here." Kazuichi sighed.

"I'll help," Nagito offered. "I may as well be of some use, after all." The two boys stood, dusting off their clothing (or swimsuit, in Nagito's case) and glanced in disappointment at the awesome sandcastles being constructed by the other groups.

"Perhaps we should head to the rockpools to look?" Nagito suggested lightly. He seemed to be enjoying himself on the beach, although the red patches on his skin and his shivering suggested his body did not feel the same. Hajime glanced around, his eyes catching on a pale spot in the sand further up the beach.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing. Nagito turned and squinting, before his eyes widened.

"I'd say you hit the jackpot, Hajime," he chuckled. He began to make his way up the beach, Hajime hesitating for a moment at the strange tone and odd expression the lucky student had used as he spoke. He eventually followed, and stopped at the pile of smooth, pale scallop shells. As they went to grab them, the sound of a wave breaking and screams of shock made them pause and turn. While they were away, a massive wave had apparently appeared, crashing with force up the beach. Everyone working on the castles were soaked, and, Hajime noticed, the sandcastles ruined. His group's sandcastle was worse for wear; the lump structure had melted under the water into a smooth column. In fact, it actually looked…better, he admitted with surprise. Considering the fact that it was also the only one standing (and with a very full moat), he'd even say they were the winner of the contest, especially with the shells they added.

"One more thing!" Nagito called, trotting over to where the three were making the final touches. With a flourish, he produced a beautiful feather, one that shimmered blue and green in the sunlight. He reached over his fellow students and placed it into the top of the castle with great care.

The sky went dark.

Hajime froze. Clouds, thunderous ones, had appeared with the same suddenness that Usami had pulled the straps and swimsuits out of thin air. They weren't there one moment, and here the next. His heart hammered in his chest and he urgently stumbled to his feet.

 _I knew it I knew it I knew it_

 **Finally.** Izuru sighed. **The game begins.**

A shout and a scream rose from behind him and he twisted, almost falling in the sand with his urgency. A small flash and Usami cried out, as the screen hung on the palm tree next to them spluttered to life.

"Ah ah ah! Mic test, Mic test! Can you hear me? Helllooooooo?" A laidback, nasally voice came out of the machine and a silhouette flickered ominously on the screen.

"No way," Usami stuttered. "That voice…it can't be. This is bad. This is very bad."

Hajime felt the bottom of his stomach drop away. The voice…it was malicious and gleeful all at the same time. He wanted to throw up. Hours of paranoia were finally coming to a head, and he found himself trembling hard. His breathing was a mess, and he barely noticed the confused students crowding around him. For a moment, everything seemed to drop away. When he came back, he found his breathing was even again, and the rest of the students had firmly crowded around, eyes fixated on the small screen.

"Ahahahaha! Hello there, dear students!" The voice continued. "The oh-so-boring part of this trip is over! Hurry over to Jabberwock park, asap! I wouldn't want to be late either, if I was you!"

"I need…I need to stop this!" Usami declared. With a small flash, she disappeared, likely in the direction of Jabberwock park.

"Jabberwock park…that's on the middle island, right?" Kazuichi asked nervously.

"That is correct." Byakuya said slowly. He turned to Hajime, eyeing his pale face. "Pull yourself together," he told him. "Everyone should hurry. This doesn't sound like an event you'd want to be late to."

Hajime gulped and inhaled shakily.

 **He is correct.**

 _Izuru? You're back?_

 **Make your way to the park immediately. It's time to, as Chiaki may say, to 'up the difficulty'.**

 _I don't want to up the difficulty! I was quite happy playing on easy mode, making friends!_

 **Should have chosen Island mode.**

 _What? Wait, that doesn't matter. What's happening? I know you know Izuru!_

 **Just go to the central island. And please make note to actually breathe properly. I'm not planning to jump in and take over you start hyperventilating.**

 _So that's what happened._ Hajime pondered Izuru's true motivations as he ran towards the island. He knew that this…whatever this was, was going to happen, claimed he was on the sidelines, and yet continued to give Hajime advice. Nonsensical advice, but advice all the same. Shaking his head, he focused on running, eventually skidding into the clearing that way Jabberwock park. The rest of the group that hadn't swum was already there, along with Usami shaking her magic stick in the air and yelling something. He heard the patter of footsteps behind him as those who had to stay behind to get changed arrived one by one.

"Where are you?" Usami yelled. "Come out right now!"

The last of the students filed in, wandering confused. A giggle penetrated the tense air, and everyone spun towards the massive statue in the centre. It seemed to glare down at the group of students and Hajime shuddered.

"Upupupupupup!" it giggled again. A flash of black and white had everyone stumbling backwards as…another stuffed toy appeared? It landed after an impressive flip on the base of the statue, raising its arms to the sky like a gymnast. It was a black and white teddy bear. The left side looked harmless and sweet, with a small button eye and smiling mouth, all completely white. The right side looked malicious, with a red eye like an open wound, and a mischievous smile stretching far too wide.

"Ahem," it said. Everyone glanced each other in confusion. "Hello there! Thank you for waiting! I'm running a bit late today, I apologise. Why, when I saw who we were going to have as a participant, I was trembling with joy!"

"Participant?" Fuyuhiko muttered.

"My name is Monokuma! I am the headmaster of this academy!" the bear crooned. "And I am pleased to tell you, the days of this boring, lacklustre, super ultra lame school trip is over!"

"Monokuma!" Usami gasped. "How are you here? This place isn't yours, you shouldn't be here! And my school trip isn't lame! It's the heart-pounding school trip! I won't let you carry out whatever you're planning!"

"Aha!" Monokuma yelled, flinging himself forward. "An opening!" he flew towards Usami in an instant, who flinched at the sudden movement. Latching onto the 'magic stick' as she called it, he wrestled her to the ground. A great ball of dust rose from the park grass as to two fought. Maniacal laughter and cries filled the air and Hajime found himself rooting for the white rabbit.

 **Don't bother. They wouldn't have approached if they weren't prepared.**

Sure enough, the dust cleared, revealing Monokuma standing atop a dirty Usami and a broken magic stick.

"No," she whimpered. "Not my magic stick!"

"Too bad, so sad!" Monokuma growled. "Now, it's time for this lamesauce school trip to end. Don't you know how boring lovey dovey friendship and living in harmony is? No, what people want are terror and despair! Misery and death! Gore and uhh… I ran out of examples. It doesn't matter! Cause now we're gonna spice things up! It's time for the Killing School Trip!"

"Killing school trip?" Nekomaru rumbled. "What on earth is that?"

"Exactly what is sounds like!" Monokuma said gleefully. "Doesn't a trip where everyone as to get along to leave sound boring? Instead, if you want to leave, kill a student, pass the class trial, and you're home free!"

"Ah, I see we just have to kill…WAIT WHAT?" Kazuichi screeched.

"That's insane!" Byakuya gasped.

"I don't want to believe this, I won't believe this, I can't…" Teruteru chanted.

"GAHHHHHHH!" Ibuki screamed.

"Is this some sort of fucking sick joke?!" Fuyuhiko seethed.

"W-W-What is this?" Mikan cried.

"W-What even is a class trial, anyway?" Mahiru asked, voice trembling.

"I'm glad you asked!" Monokuma crowed. "All you gotta do is kill someone, doesn't matter how, and then get away with it! After a murder, everyone will come together and try to piece together the evidence to figure out whodunnit! If you get away with it, you go free! If not, you get punished! If the class doesn't figure out the real killer though, they get punished instead!"

"A-And punished means?" Kazuichi asked timidly.

"Execution!" Monokuma answered cheerfully.

"No…way," Hajime whispered, mouth dry.

"Those are big words. I have to warn you, I don't want to get violent," Nekomaru warns. "But I will if I have to!"

"Heh, all I need to do is take out the bear, right?" Akane snarls, grinning evilly.

"I won't stand for this," Peko adds, reaching for her sword.

 _You knew. You KNEW about this. Why? Are you…are you on that thing's side? Did you plan this?_

 **Hmph. Of course I knew. That doesn't mean I'm on that things side. As I mentioned before, I am a neutral party. I suggest you pay attention. Something is happening.**

"Oh dear, we can't have that!" Monokuma continued to tease. "Let's see; if you wanna use force, then so be it! I guess I'll just use force too!" He spun around and raised his arms, starting a strange chant. The wind picked up the clearing, a cold and wet chill that seems to cling to everyone's skin. Some people backed away, fear clouding their features. "I summon thee!" the bear concluded with a grand gesture, and lightning split the sky. There was a massive rumble, and the statue began to glow. The figures that made up the statue began to shift and move, jointing squealing. A cloud of dust rose as they climbed down from their places. When it settled, it revealed a set of massive robots, eyes glinting red in the dark. Time seemed to stop. Hajime felt his breath catch in his throat and his body freeze. Everything that had been happening so far; their sudden and inexplicable arrival, the voice in his head, talking toys; all of it had been strange and almost beyond belief but this…this was going too far. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He didn't…he didn't know how to deal with this, with any of this. He was just a normal person, what the hell! His thoughts seem to be mimicked on the faces of his fellow students, as, despite the obvious threat posed by the obviously malicious robots, nobody ran. Nobody moved. Nobody breathed.

"Behold! My monobeasts!" Monokuma cackled. It broke the silence for a moment, and severa people stumbled back a step in shock.

"M-M-M-Monster!" squealed Mikan.

"No, they're monobeasts!" snapped Monokuma.

"Is this dark magic? Or a weapon from the future?" Gundham exclaimed, face pale with horror.

"Oh, oh no," Sonia whimpered.

"G-Get behind me!" Usami cried out. "I'll protect everyone!"

"Oh? You're still here?" Monokuma said slowly, cocking his head. "Guh, I got carried away! I forgot to do the costume change! Ah beary me, I've been trying too hard to impress. Oh well, I can always do that later. For now, you're a perfect example for my lesson. Enough of this courage crap. Monobeasts, sick her!"

Usami trembled as the beats rose up. The groan and aqueal of metal on metal echoed in the clearing as a hatch opened in one of the beasts. A massive machine gun emerged slowly, swivelling as it warmed up. Helpless, the white rabbit could only watch as it moved to aim at her. The gun activated suddenly, with a bang and a flash, gunfire spewing forth. It ran her through, stuffing floating through the air. Bullets ricocheted around the clearing, and the tree behind the rabbit fell with a crash. A stray bullet barrelled towards Hajime, faster than he could blink. His vision went black for a millisecond, enough to let him know that Izuru had seized control moved them out the way before he could even think of reacting. He turned in shock to where the bullet had gone and pierced the tree behind him and gulped heavily. Turning back, he found Monokuma's gaze settled firmly on him with a knowing grin splitting his features.

Usami's hair ribbon floated down sadly, settling on the park floor. Everyone looked at it, some with horror, others with grief.

"That's enough for now," Monokuma said happily. "Now do you understand? You can't defy me. It doesn't matter how long it takes because there's no time limit, but there _will_ be a murder. And it will be amazing, awesome, and absolutely despair-inducing. Anyway," he chirped, changing tone completely. "Look how late it is! I've updated the tablets to include the new killing trip rules," A ding rang through the clearing, confirming the bear's words, "along with a few _other_ things." He giggled cruelly. "All right, sleep tight, kiddos!" And with that, he popped out of existence, and the beasts continued to hover, glaring silently.

 _Is this real? Am I really stuck in killing game? Am I…going to die?_

The last thought chilled him to the bone. _Would anyone actually…?_

A quick glance around the clearing showed everyone standing awkwardly. Some took the news with dignity, including Peko, Byakuya, Hiyoko and Akane. Others, such as Teruteru, Kazuichi, Ibuki and Mahiru weren't doing so well, trembling where they stood.

"I won't believe it, I won't believe it, I won't believe it." Teruteru continued to chant.

"I don't…I don't wanna die…" Kazuichi sniffed miserably.

"If they were people or actual animals we could fight…But what the hell was that?!" Nekomaru roared.

"This seems impossible…" Mahiru whispered.

"That's because it should be," Byakuya sniffed. "Obviously those were robots, and that suggests Monokuma is one too. Therefore, there should be someone controlling them."

"You think someone here orchestrated everything?" Sonia gasped, daintily covering her mouth.

"It's possible, but we can't be sure. There could be someone else on the island," Byakuya allowed.

"Considering there's a change in the e-handbook, I'd say it's definitely a possibility," Nagito commented noncommittedly.

"Change?" Hajime repeated stupidly. _Right, that…thing added new rules._ He pulled his tablet out, fumbling with the switches, until it rested in one trembling hand. It hummed as it turned on, and he flipped to the rules section.

 **Rule 1** : Extreme violence is prohibited on this island. Please live peaceful and relaxing lives with your fellow students.

 **Rule 2** : Be considerate of each other and work together to obtain Hope Fragments.

 **Rule 3** : Littering is not allowed. Let us coexist with this island's bountiful nature in "mutual prosperity".

 **Rule 4** : The lead teacher cannot directly interfere with the students. An exception to this rule is made if any student violates a rule.

 **Rule 5** : Once a murder takes place, a class trial will begin shortly thereafter. Participation is mandatory for all surviving students.

 **Rule 6:** If the blackened is exposed during the class trial, they alone will be executed.

 **Rule 7** : If the blackened is not exposed, the remaining students will be executed.

 **Rule 8** : As a reward, the surviving blackened will be forgiven of their crime and allowed to leave the island.

 **Rule 9** : The Body Discovery Announcement will play as soon as three or more people discover a body for the first time, not including the blackened themselves.

 **Rule 10** : Destroying any property on this island without permission is expressly prohibited. This includes the surveillance cameras and monitors.

 **Rule 11** : You are free to investigate this island at your own discretion. Your actions in this regard are not limited.

 **LAST RULE** : Additional school trip rules may be added at the headmaster's discretion.

"These are the new rules, huh?" Hajime murmured aloud.

"Indeed." Nagito commented. "But they're not what I'm talking about."

"Huh? What are ya talking about then?" Akane asked.

"Check out the student profiles section," he said with a little smile. Hajime shot him a confused look, and flicked over the section in question. The profile section had a strip along the top with a little pixel artwork to represent each of the students. Until he'd met them, that figure had been black, and the profile blank of all detail. With Chiaki, the last profile had been filled in, with 16 little portraits lining the top. Except now…there wasn't 16 portraits. There were 17. Right before his own portrait, a new little icon sat.

"Hey, there's a new profile space in the student profiles!" Kazuichi exclaimed.

"Yeah, but it's blank," Mahiru frowned.

"That just means we haven't met them yet, genius," Fuyuhiko snapped.

Hajime glanced at his own e-handbook. That profile was decidedly NOT blank. A portrait of a boy with long black hair and red eyes glared back apathetically from the screen. A boy, he noted with some shock, with his face.

 _Izuru Kamakura,_ the profile read. It went on to list the same medical details as Hajime; height, weight, chest and blood type were all identical. Strangely enough, under 'birthday', it simply listed ' _?_ '. Likes were listed as ' _interesting things_ ' and dislikes as ' _boring things'_. Under special notes, it said ' _Ultimate Talent/Ultimate?_ '.

Hajime swallowed heavily. This was a confirmation. One that Izuru was real, and not just some figment of his imagination. Izuru, who had known about the game beforehand. Izuru, who was currently the number one suspect as the identity of the mastermind. One thing was for sure, he couldn't tell anyone that the 'mysterious student' was present inside his head. Which meant, of course, he couldn't let the profile get filled in. He had to be careful not to let him out in front of students. Speaking of…

 _Didn't you speak to Nagito on the beach earlier?_ He thought with some alarm.

 **Relax. The -ehandbook system works on Hope shards.** Izuru answered dismissively. **Hope shards are gathered as students become closer to one another. I do not form attachments in response to familiarity as most do. As long as I do not become preferential towards anyone while in control, there should be no issue.**

 _If that's the case, how did Nagito get his hands on my profile if I was unconscious._

 **A mystery indeed. I did introduce myself as you, if you're wondering. However, that should not have triggered the system. My best estimations point to either a malfunction unlocking the profile, or a bluff.**

 _Bluff? So, it's possible the profile didn't unlock after he met me, and he took a bluff? How did he know my profile didn't list a talent then?_

 **He probably guessed.**

 _How?_

 **Luck.**

 _I'm starting to see what you mean by dangerous._

 **Indeed. In fact, I'd say the bluff suggests that he already suspects you.**

 _Don't say that! You're scaring me! I'm already as paranoid as it is!_

Hajime let out a shuddering breath and look around the park. Scared faces had become tired, or even angry as they studied the blank profile and rules listed in the handbook.

Byakuya sighed. "Unfortunately, it is not this mysterious student, or the mastermind that we must fear right now. It is, in fact, ourselves."

Everyone froze and glanced at each other.

 _That's right. Right now, our biggest threats are each other, and our own strength of resolve. Can I really say, standing here, that I won't eventually break? Can I really stand here and shout 'I'll never kill anyone!'? None of us have been in this situation before. Now that I'm paranoid, I'm sure it will continue to grow. I have to try my best, and hope that I can withstand the pressure._

"I believe we should retire," Sonia said softly.

"I-I-I can cook something to eat!" Teruteru babbled. "Anyone want something to eat?"

"You can eat first," Chiaki said firmly. "I think everyone needs a rest before that."

Hajime agreed. And with a heavy heart, each of the students turn and wander back to the hotel slowly, despair nipping at their heels.

 ** _The killing game starts._**

 ** _Students 'alive': 17_**

 ** _88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888_**

Hello there, time for another chapter! I've finished my classes for the year, so I'm hoping for faster updates. Are you ready for the killing game to begin? There are so many little changes beginning to waterfall here, and I'm so exciting to see them start to come together! I omitted a lot of the little details the game went through, because I'm not planning on writing a fic that takes 50 hours to read (god, I can feel my fingers cramping at the thought) so I stripped it own the important stuff. Oh, and sandcastles. Because you know, sandcastsles are fantastic, Kazuichi was my very first Danganronpa child, and I wanted to have Nagito's (and Hajime's) luck have some time to play. I love comments, they're everything to me, so pretty pretty please leave some, even if you commented last chapter! Fun fact, I nearly had Usami speaking OwO for the entire time, before I decided it was too hard to read. You have been spared. I wonder where we'll go from here.


	6. Chapter 1 Start: Paranoia and Presents

Hajime walked away from the scene in a daze. Even now the words uttered by Monokuma didn't seem real.

'If you want to leave, kill a student, pass the class trial, and you're home free!'

Nobody had questioned what 'home free' meant. Kill a student, and you will be allowed to leave the island. Until then, they were trapped in this hellish scenario.

Eventually Hajime made his way back the hotel on the first island. He collapsed by the pool, staring up at the stars.

"Beautiful…"

The stars above him glittered like scattered diamonds, embedded into the void. They were breathtaking, if not soul-achingly incredible. But they were unfamiliar. Being a city boy, Hajime was used to viewing a sky tainted by light pollution, where only the brightest of stars managed to shine their light. And in their unfamiliarity, the stars felt cold and threatening.

"This…this can't be happening." Hajime murmured to the silence. The waves crashed in the distance, murmuring mockingly at his plea.

 **Your reaction is boring.**

Hajime jerked and inhaled sharply. He gritted his teeth in the silence.

" **This can't be happening. This scenario is too unreal. There's no way someone would actually give in and kill someone, is there?" You're thinking something like that, aren't you? Denial is like trying to paint over an oil portrait with watercolours. It does little to change reality, and it fools nobody; it is a fake solution to the problem at hand. It's best if you let go of these thoughts as soon as possible.**

He sat in sullen silence for a couple of minutes before speaking.

"Can I trust anyone?" he finally replied. "I don't know these people; even someone like Chiaki, who seems so familiar, is a stranger. I don't know what kind of motives Monokuma will provide." He sighed lightly, leaning back to stare at the stars. Unshed tears burned.

"I can't trust anyone but myself. …No, that's not quite right. I don't even know if I can trust myself in this situation either."

… **That is the most uncertain resolve I've yet seen.**

Hajime laughed. "I never was one for self-confidence." Swiping at his face with one hand, he encountered tears he didn't realise he had shed. He rubbed at his face, breath catching with each inhale. But he bit his lip stubbornly, determined to keep the sobs inside.

He wouldn't cry while Izuru was watching.

That was just something too personal after all, and hadn't he been warned about all this in advance, if vaguely? He couldn't just go ahead and be that weak.

He pulled himself to his feet as a chime went off on his tablet. Bringing it up, he listened to Monokuma's spiel about night-time and murders with an indecipherable expression.

Even he went to leave and make his way to the cottage allocated to him only to find his legs wouldn't move. His knees shook and his hands trembled.

 _God dammit…I can't even keep my legs from shaking long enough to get to my cabin. How pathetic is that?_

Izuru kept quiet as Hajime cursed himself. He eventually pushed himself forward, lurching forward as he walked.

Unlocking the door, Hajime staggered into his cabin, closing the door softly behind him. It was small and bare, decorated with minimal furniture and white walls. A door he assumedly to his bathroom lay to his right. His bed, he noted with some relief, was directly at hand on his left, and he collapsed onto the covers with a sigh. He kicked off his shoes with little thought to where they landed and focused on steadying his breathing. His whole body felt cold, and he could feel his hands continue to tremble despite the tropical warmth. He decided he wasn't going to accept Teruteru's offer of food anytime soon, at least not with the way his stomach tossed and turned like a ship at sea, or how his arms and legs felt like jelly. He wanted nothing to do but sleep; after all, hadn't his mind been through enough? But still new thoughts continued to plague his mind.

 **Hajime.**

 _Mmm?_

 **You should get some rest. This may be the last good night's rest you receive for some time.**

… _Fine. I was going to anyway. Though…hey…do you…even…sleep? If not,…keep watch…m'kay…?..._

 **Sleep.**

Hajime soon slipped into darkness, and slept a deep, dreamless sleep.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

He woke with a start, and automatically reached out a hand to switch off his early phone alarm, only for his hand to meet nothing but air. He yelped as he all but tumbled out the narrow bed, tightly tucked sheets the only thing holding him in place.

"Where?" he mumbled, squinting in the sunlight, before yesterday's memories tumbled down. Hope's Peak. Izuru. Classmates. Killing game. He sat up slowly and stared at the blankets tucked around his body, still neatly pressed, and wondered when he'd gotten into bed.

 _I think…I need something to eat first before my brain starts firing properly. Maybe some coffee? Or some orange juice. I'll take either right about now._

He stumbled from his bed, leaving the sheets messily crumpled from where he'd pulled himself from their embrace. He ran his hand through his hair, once, twice, and straightened his tie. He'd slept in his clothes, he noticed. He gave his arm a give sniff just to make sure he smelt fine before he left. Surprisingly, he smelt fine, even though he'd been out making sandcastles and lying in the ocean spray the day before. His arms itched however, a slight sunburn making itself known.

"Note to self," he muttered, striding through his cottage door. He heard it click shut, and presumably lock behind him. "Buy sunscreen from the market before I go anyway near the ocean again."

He began to make his way to the restaurant for some much-need food when he spotted something that could be counted as suspicious at the end of the walkway. Or rather, someone. Kazuichi, the pink haired mechanic stood in the middle of the path. His hands twitched and his shoulders were hunched. He seemed determined to glance behind him every few seconds before he took another step. Hajime stood aghast at the absolutely ridiculous display, before making a snap decision.

"Kazuichi!" he called casually, making his way over. "Hey, what's up?"

Hajime was rewarded by a strangled squawk escaping the mechanic's lips as the startled boy leapt a foot in the air in fright.

"H-Hajime!" Kazuichi let out an indignant cry. "Don't sneak up on a man like that!"

"Sorry." He was not sorry. "And I wasn't really sneaking?" Looking at the twisted and worried look on Kazuichi's face, however, he decided to try and smooth things over. "Are you okay? You're looking kind of pale."

"Pale?" Kazuichi repeated. "Pale?! Of course I'm pale! How are you not freaking out? W-W-We're trapped in a killing game, for crying out loud! And that stupid bear," he sniffed. "I swear, it hunts me in my dreams, doing stupid comedy skits!"

"…I see," Hajime said slowly. "Have you had breakfast?" he asked, changing the topic. "I was just heading over to the restaurant myself." he added.

"Oh no. No, no, no, no, no." Kazuichi stuttered, backing away. "B-Breakfast? In a room of potential killers? I don't think so! No way man, I…I'm gonna go. Y-Yeah, I'm gonna go look for a way off this stupid island! There has to be one! I can't die here! I won't let anyone kill me! I have…I have…AHHH!" Kazuichi took off with a short scream, eyes wide and breath short and quick.

"Hey, wait!" Hajime spluttered, reaching out after him. But it was no use, the mechanic had already disappeared out the gates of the hotel, well out of sight. "Damn it."

 **He's quite foolish, though I'm not surprised.**

"It is way too early in the morning for this. Any of this." Hajime mumbled bitterly. He turned and made his way to the restaurant steps.

 **Which? To participate in killing game? To talk to disembodied voices?**

 _Both,_ Hajime snarled back.

 **Oh, do forgive me for my poor timing.**

"It's too early to be listening to an arsehole like you!" Hajime snapped aloud. He shut his jaw with a click, pausing on the second step as he realised he spoke aloud.

 _It's not like your commentary is useful anyway!_

 **I see. You still see me as a burden, rather than an advantage. Let me clarify, in case it is not clear: I am not interested in manipulating this game, nor placing you at a disadvantage. I am, however, interested in the results it may yield, and to observe them, I require you to remain alive for as long as possible. Understand so far?**

 _I-_

 **As such, my observations nearly always provide valuable insight, maximising your chances at surviving the game. Of course, if you wish to participate, I will not stop you. An analysis of your personality and physical build suggest you are not prone to acting on violent impulses, nor are you a weak and obvious target. As such, extreme circumstances permitting, you may last well enough on your own. You may not want to know this, but in a game such as this, the very weak and the very strong are taken out first; your averageness is an advantage to itself.**

 _Fine. Whatever. At least let me have breakfast before you go off on your cryptic bullshit._

Hajime's jaw ground silently, as he took deep breaths, before pushing open the restaurant doors, revealing a group of students already situated inside. A grand breakfast feast sat temptingly to his left, lining the wall underneath the window opening into the kitchen. Byakuya sat nearby, already a plate piled high with an assortment of different foods sitting in front of him, while Teruteru hovered, eyeing the spread with assessing eyes.

Akane also had a mouth full of food, as well as several plates filled with nothing but eggs, sausages, bacon and steak. She wolfed down food with reckless abandon, distinctly contrasting with the delicate princess sat daintily beside her, consuming an omelette with precise cuts and small bites. Fuyuhiko and Peko were also in the room, though sat at completely opposite sides, Fuyuhiko to the left and Peko to the right. Having had Izuru spoil the nature of their relationship already, it almost made him cringe how blatantly obvious their cover up was.

Unsurprisingly, Kazuichi is nowhere to be found.

Nekomaru sat in the very back of the restaurant, his plate a lot more evenly portioned and healthy – fried eggplant and a small salad even sat on one plate. Nagito sat nearby with nothing but a couple of pieces of toast and two small jam packets. Jeez, at least have a glass of milk!

The final student in the room was Gundham, sitting on the far right, scarf pulled up high and a plate full of salad, fried eggplant and a couple of eggs sitting untouched to his side. He appeared focused on feeding his hamsters – sorry, Dark Devas of Destruction – watching them eat seeds from what appeared to be bottle caps. Hajime watched as the man placed a small bag on the desk and removed a handful of sunflower seeds. He lovingly and carefully placed three sunflower seeds in each cap, tutting when Cham-P made to grab the seed before it was set down. Hajime smiled a little at the scene; maybe Gundham was nicer than he first thought.

"Excuse me?" An exasperated voice asked. "Are you gonna just stand there and block the door all day? Are you retarded or something?" Hajime jumped and quickly moved back and out the way as a girl in a kimono, Hiyoko, he remembered, walked past, nose scrunched, and tongue stuck out. Hajime caught the door as it swung back so it wouldn't clip him on the shoulder.

 _I know I was standing in the way, but rude._

Just as he was about to close it, however, the red-haired girl, Mahiru, appeared at the top of the steps and stepped through the doorway. Crossing the threshold, she paused and glanced around at the open doorway, first to her right, then to the left, her eyes catching first on Hajime, and then the door held wide open in his grasp. She blinked, a surprised expression flickering into existence across her face. Then her cold gaze relaxed somewhat, and she gave him a warm smile and a small nod, before chasing after the small dancer.

Hajime let out a sigh, closing the door carefully behind him and taking a step towards the buffet table. He may as well take the time until the rest of the students arrived to grab a bite to eat. He was only able to take a couple of steps, however, before the door opened with a loud bang behind him.

"Hey, hey, it's Saturday!" A loud voice announced, and he instinctively flinched at the volume. The source of said noise was of course, none other than the Ultimate Musician, Ibuki Mioda, who was apparently still full of energy and cheer despite yesterday's gruelling revelations. Hajime wasn't the only one who cringed at the noise, with Peko's hand flicking instinctively for her sword and the Dark Devas sent scurrying for safety. Shortly behind her similarly scurried Mikan, the Ultimate Nurse. Her hair was in even more of a disarray than yesterday, and the expression she wore was a halfway between terror and resignation. The reason for that, he quickly realised, was her sleeve caught in the grasp of the Ultimate Musician.

 _She couldn't escape even if she wanted to, huh?_

Hajime gave the nurse a pitying smile as she was tugged unceremoniously into the room. Finally having the opportunity to inspect the table himself, he observed the massive spread, snatching a plate from the corner.

"Mmmff," Akane struggled to speak with her mouth full. "He', Haj'me, ya gotta try s'me of tha b'con! It's d'lic'us!"

"I-I'm sure I could have done better," Teruteru tittered, side-eying the food suspiciously, chubby fingers poking at the pile of eggs on his plate.

Hajime paused in his collection of breakfast foods. "You didn't make this, Teruteru?" Now that he thought about it, eating food he hadn't made himself…well it wasn't exactly _wise,_ considering the circumstances.

 **You're finally catching on.**

"Me, make this?! Preposterous! R'diculous! I say I – ahem. There's no way I could have ever made this food! It's much too low quality! My dishes are nothing less than world-class!"

"R'lly? I th't it w's y'mmy!"

"Just yummy, right? Compared to my dishes, this is shit! If this were my food, you wouldn't be able to control yourself! Just a bite, and more then just your jaw would drop, if you know what I mean!"

"N'pe."

Ignoring the banter acting out behind him, Hajime hesitated. Everyone else had already taken food from the table, so it was probably okay, right? Nobody could be that desperate already that they'd try to kill literally everybody on the island just yet, right?

He wanted Izuru's voice to pipe up with some sort of derogatory comment, maybe calling him an idiot, and waiving away his paranoia, but instead he received nothing but silence from the boy inside his head.

"I already tasted the food for poison, if you're wondering," Byakuya said slowly, snapping Hajime out of his reverie. He jumped, realising he had been staring at the food on his plate for a while.

"Besides, that I find it unlikely that anyone would have access to a poison that could both be safely added to food that would not be detected when eaten. The supermarket had nothing of the sort, and anything poisonous such as rat poison would have a bitterant as a safety." The heir added, nudging his glasses up with one finger as he spoke.

Hajime relaxed, and smiled warmly. "Ah, thanks Byakuya," He rubbed the back of his head with one hand and chuckled sheepishly. "I guess I woke up paranoid," he admitted.

"Hmphf. I suppose it's not a _bad_ trait to have in a situation such as this." He paused. "Though for most of us, the situation hasn't quite set in yet. Your adaption has been rather swift. It is quite admirable."

"I wouldn't call it that," Hajime muttered. He finally gathered the last of his breakfast and sat at a solitary table. He ate slowly, ignoring the last of the students as they filed in.

The truth of the matter was that he had a head start on everyone else. With his own suspicions and Izuru's ominous confirmation, last night had been the final nail in the coffin. While all the other students were attempting to accept the new scenario, Hajime was already sprinting ahead. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, he had already moved straight to acceptance. And it had left him paranoid and weary.

Eventually, everyone was munching on breakfast with the exception of Kazuichi, who had apparently not yet calmed down from the panicked state he had been in earlier that morning.

"Hmph. It looks like nearly everyone is here. All we're waiting for is that mechanic." Byakuya observed.

"Where is he, anyway?" Mahiru asked, pausing from filling her plate.

"I caught him wandering around near the cottages this morning," Hajime volunteered. "He was pretty spooked. I tried talking to him, but he just freaked out and ran off."

"Ran off? Ran off where? We're on an _island._ There's nowhere to run _to._ What a moron." Hiyoko sniggered.

"I can't believe him. That's so irresponsible." Mahiru frowned.

"I can somewhat understand his reaction, however." Peko looked troubled. "This situation is…unpleasant. I don't blame him for having trouble managing his emotions."

"Situation? What situation?" Teruteru babbled. He started to sweat. "I don't recall any situation. Nothing bad happened yesterday at all! We're on a _lovely_ summer vacation! Nothing more! Yes, that's it!" As Teruteru muttered to himself, Hajime winced.

 _I almost wish I could escape reality so easily._

Mahiru sighed, hands on her hips. "Maybe I should go get him?" she muttered.

Before she could act, however, the restaurant door flew open with a bang. Kazuichi stood there panting.

"Monsters!" he choked out. "M-Monsters at the bridges!"

 _What._

"We're aware," Byakuya replied dryly.

 _No, no, no, we are not._

"W-W-What's this about m-monsters?" Tsumiki asked, panicked.

"I'm with Tsumiki on this; monsters?" Hajime prodded the topic forward nervously.

"Indeed, what it is that the sharp-toothed one speaks?" Gundham rumbled.

"I believe he is talking about the creatures we saw yesterday. They seem to be positioned at the entrances to the different islands." Sonia contributed softly.

"You mean those massive robots?!" Nekomaru clenched his trembling fist.

"Do we really have to through this again?!" A voice no one wanted to hear snarled over the panicked chatter. "They're Monobeasts! M-O-N-O-B-E-A-S-T-S! They're not robots, god damn it!" Monokuma had appeared from thin air, and now stood by the doorway of the restaurant. Kazuichi screamed, leaping away from the bear next to him, and throwing himself in Hajime's arms. Unprepared for the new weight, Hajime grunted and toppled backwards, Kazuichi falling with him. Hiyoko laughed hysterically in the background, while Monokuma continued, unimpeded as Hajime tried desperately to untangle the weeping mechanic's limbs from his own.

"So these…monobeasts are guarding the entrance to each of the islands?" Pekoyama asked slowly.

"Yuuup! We wouldn't want you progressing too quickly now! Pupupupu!"

"Progressing?" Sonia cocked her head. "That implies there is progress that can be made. Will the islands in the future?"

Monokuma began sweating nervously, and tapping his paws. "W-Well, if you put it like that, maybe, uh. _Maybe_ the combat systems will be comprised a little on an occasion. Maybe just enough for someone or something to force their way past. After a murder, of course. Maybe. Whatever! It's n-not like I like you. Baka."

Nobody spoke, instead choosing to stare silently in anger.

"Jeez," Monokuma sighed dejectedly. "Tough crowd. Anyway!" He suddenly snarled. "Get out there and enjoy the sunshine, you bastards! Aaaalsoo, there's a super special event tonight at the centre of Jabberwock park! Don't be late! Bye-onara!"

He disappeared in a blink of an eye, leaving the group once again feeling uneasy and quiet.

"Well, now that _that's_ over," Byakuya said dryly, "we can get on to the real reason I called everyone here."

"Wait, you called everyone here?" Hiyoko asked innocently. A mischievous smirk crept its way onto her face. "Don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself, fatty? You do know this is a restaurant, right? Where people eat? It's hard to imagine you'd forget something like that."

"Maybe we should move onto the reason behind us gathering? A meeting, right?" Chiaki's voice piped up sleepily from behind Hajime and he kept himself from jumping.

 _I didn't even see her arrive…_

"Hmph. Correct." Byakuya scoffed. "Now - "

"Hiiiiiyyaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" A loud crash, followed by a heavy thud and a piercing scream had Hajime whirring to face it, taking a step back f **ist curled, thumb untucked, now lower his centre of gravity so he can –** he blinked, the thoughts scattering like dust.

"What the heck? How do you even fall like that?" He blurted instead. Mikan whimpered. Ankles tied with electrical cords, she had fallen backwards, legs lifted and food scattered on the floor.

"I tripped!" she wailed.

"How?!"

"Ah! Look at her blush! She's so embarrassed! The moe is too much!"

"Oh my~ Quite the view!"

"Shut up!" Mahiru snapped. "Let's help her up!" She reached out a hand tugged the nurse into a sitting position. Hajime hastily knelt down and loosened the cords at her ankles, slipping her feet free.

 _I'm not looking, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not_

"Are you quite done?" Byakuya snapped. Hajime felt his eye twitch as he tried to block out the indignant nagging.

 _I wonder if him and Izuru would get along. They're certainly both arrogant enough for it._

 **Unlikely. My superiority is simply legitimate, not attached to an act meant to intimidate and bolster my self-worth.**

 _From my point of view, you just made my point._

"Yeah, yeah, we're good. Let's get on with it!" Akane yelled. "I got meat to eat!"

"Indeed. I'm pretty interested myself to see what Byakuya has to say," hummed Nagito.

"Good," the fat heir sighed. "Finally, we can get to the main reason we're all gathered here. Now, in a situation like this, what's the most important thing to have?"

"Who the fuck knows?" Fuyuhiko snarled. "Get to the point!"

"Hmph, you're certainly impatient. If you would answer my question, however, you'd see what I mean."

"Well, I mean," Akane scratched her cheek. "You just need food and sleep, right?"

"Maybe he means metaphorically?" Nagito wondered. "If that's the case… I'd have to say a bond, right? A close bond we can use to fight off despair, no matter what! If you all band together, I'm sure there's nothing a group of Ultimates like you guys couldn't do."

"Hehehe, I can't believe you actually managed to say all that mushy stuff with a straight face! How embarrassing!" Hiyoko snickered.

"I agree," Sonia said firmly. She lifted her hand to her heart, and stared at it, watching it tremble, before she formed a tight fist and pressed it to her chest. "In this situation, I believe our best action is to work together as a group. Letting suspicion and paranoia get between us is surely the fastest route to our downfall."

"I see," Peko murmured. She glanced at Sonia, before meeting Hajime's, followed by Byakuya's eyes. "Monokuma intends to plant doubt and turn us against each other. Unless we band together, we'll simply be dancing to his tune."

"Hmm. Those are all good responses. Better than I was expecting, honestly. But while that is the right track, it is nothing as insubstantial and optimistic as a bond. No, what we need is a clear and defined leader!"

"A l-leader?"

"Fortunately for all of you, I graciously accept the role."

"H-Hey, you can't just do that!" Mahiru emerged from the crowd, enraged. "Who do you think you are? What, you just start saying things about a leader, and install yourself into the position? That's totally unfair!"

"And I suppose you have a better candidate? I am Byakuya Togami, I've been training for a role like this my entire life." Byakuya pushed up his glasses, and stared disdainfully down at Mahiru.

"W-well," she looked around, eyes falling on Sonia. "What about Sonia?" she said defensively. "She's the Ultimate Princess! I'm sure she'd be even better suited to the role."

"Um, I do apologise," Sonia interrupted sweetly. "But I'm afraid, in the country I come from, the royal family is little more than a figurehead. I don't believe I would be suited for any actual leadership roles, as I don't have any experience. Please forgive me."

"Ah, no. No, it's okay." Mahiru deflated.

"Hmph. Now that that's settled, are there any other challenges?"

No one answered.

"Wonderful. Now, as my first order as leader, I'm summoning everyone to Jabberwock park in twenty minutes. I'm not entirely ruthless, so I'll allow everyone to finish eating breakfast first."

 _That's just because you haven't finished eating yourself yet!_

 **Hmm. I was hoping for something different, but so far this is all very typical.**

 _You know, I'm getting the really bad feeling that this is not the first killing game you've seen. Who even are you?_

 **I believe I've already answered that question, and this is the first 'true' killing game I've witnessed personally. This peace won't last, you are aware?**

 _No one has died yet, so I'm just taking it as a win for now. And what would a fake killing game even be?_ Hajime loaded some food - what looked like potato salad, onto his plate sloppily, and sat down and began to finish off his food.

 **Let me just say that it didn't last this long.**

 _But it's only been one day though?_

 **Exactly.**

 _Why is it I'm always more stressed than I was before after talking to you?_

 **Knowledge is a burden.**

 _Whatever._

After cleaning his plate and dumping it on the pile of dirty dishes, he followed the slow-moving crowd of students to Jabberwock Park.

The first thing he noticed, of course, was the giant, black statue made of turning gears and a bright red countdown right in the middle of the park, where the former monobeasts had once stood.

"What the hell is that!?" Akane yelled.

"Oh dear," Sonia whispered.

"Interesting," Nagito murmured. He looked mildly concerned, but not nearly as panciked as Hajime would like.

 _Izuru. What is that. Is that a-_

"-a bomb?" someone finished asking.

"I can't be sure," Byakuya frowned, staring up at it. "Whatever it is, we apparently have approximately two weeks before the countdown finishes."

"Oh god, we're going to die!" Kazuichi wailed.

"Infernal machine," Gundam muttered to himself.

Hajime was a little concerned with how often his classmates seemed to mutter to no one in particular, but supposed he probably couldn't talk without being hypocritical. Speaking of which...

 _Izuru. Izuru. Are you still there? What is that thing?_

 **...I don't know.**

 _...Huh?_

 **I don't know. It could be nothing at all; a device to instill a sense of urgency and nervousness. However, if they're anything like the original, it could quite possibly be exactly as it seems, and be a bomb. I can't be sure.**

 _Aren't you Ultimate Ultimate or something? You can't tell a bomb when you see it?_

 **Those rules don't apply here.**

"Of course he doesn't make any sense." Hajime grumbled aloud.

Eventually, the clamour all quieted down and the students began to disperse one by one, when it became clear that was nothing to be done. Hajime slammed the door shut behind him the moment he entered his cottage, and let himself fall onto the mattress face first. He let out a groan, noting the time on his clock. Not even eleven yet.

 _I want to marry this bed._

 **Shouldn't you be out socialising with your classmates?**

 _What? Since when are you a social butterfly? I thought everyone was boring and you hated them._

 **That's an exaggeration borne from your own mind. I don't particularly care whether you actually go out or not; however, socialising will build trust and familiarity between you and your classmates which you can leverage later on. And people who lock themselves away don't actually have that much of a better survival rate than those who don't.**

 _All logic, huh?_

 **Of course.**

 _All right. Let's go out and meet with some classmates. I've got daylight to kill anyway._

 _zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz_

Free time events are now open

Please note that the following Free Time events are not available:

-Fuyuhiko

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 _Authors Note:_

 _So, an apology to everyone who has been waiting for this update. I know it's been nearly 6 months since the last update. I'm in my last year of university, and while I still love SDR2, I've fallen out of the fandom for a bit. In addition, writing 18 characters accurately and following the story after falling out the fandom means I have to do some research every time I sit down to write. Thank you for your patience, everyone, and thank you very, very much for your support so far! As mentioned above, Free Time events are now open. Please note, however, most of them probably won't change much from the in-game events until they're specific characters relevant to this AU, even as we progress through the story. Regardless, I'll include them anyway, but they might seem a little stiff._

 _Thank you so much, I'll see you next time!_

 _-Luna_


	7. Free Time Events 1: Nagito & Chiaki

"I'm going to visit Chiaki." The words left his mouth before he realised what he was doing.

 **She piqued your curiosity then?**

 _You can say that. She just seems so...familiar. And since you're not helpful at all, I'll just have to solve this mystery myself._

 **You're attempting to be productive already? I'm shocked to my core. I truly wasn't expecting this.**

 _Why the hell are you so sarcastic? I thought you liked Chiaki? Why do I get stuck with the asshole hallucination?_

 **Not that you'll understand my true meaning, but this is a novel experience for me personally, as well. Truly, to think you'd be able to stir actual irritation from me. Your existence just has that effect on me, I suppose. I'll be eager to observe it.**

 _...I can't tell whether that was sarcasm. You sounded serious. Why were you serious? You know what, I don't care. More of your cryptic bullshit, I guess._

Pulling himself off the bed cover and smothering a yawn, Hajime made his way to the door of his cottage and tugged it open, wincing at the bright, tropical sunlight. He shove his hands in his pockets as he leaned left and right before exiting, sauntering down the wooden pathway.

 _If I was a sleepy gamer girl, where would I be…?_

 **Do you have to ask?**

Hajime grinned, and headed to the hotel lobby.

wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Stepping into the air conditioned lobby, it didn't take long to spot the Ultimate Gamer. She stood to the side of one of the arcade machines, and was snoring softly.

 _Is...is she asleep?_

 **It appears so.**

 _What do I do? I don't want to disturb her. But, like, isn't it dangerous sleeping while standing like that?_

 **Are you going to stand there all day, or make a decision? There are other students we can visit.**

 _Or so you say._

Hajime bit his lip. Izuru acted nonchalant, but he could feel the anxiety and a burning curiosity that maybe even outweighed his own coiling in his stomach.

"Mhhmm…"

"A-Ah!" Hajime jumped as Chiaki suddenly mumbled sleepily.

"Ah...Hajime, you're here. Sorry, I was getting a little sleep," she muttered sleepily. She yawned, rubbing one eye half-heartedly.

"Have you not been sleeping well?" he probed.

"Hmm, when I'm gaming I tend to forget about sleeping. Sometimes I even forget to breathe."

 _What. That's. That's not good, in fact that's really really bad._ Before he could get a word in, she continued.

"Plus, I keep having nightmares. I had a bad dream the other day so I've been a little scared."

"Can I ask what kind of dream you had?" Hajime asked cautiously.

"Well…" she hummed. "I guess it's okay. It was a dream about 'Trio the Punch'."

"...Huh?" Hajime couldn't help himself as the confused sound fell from his lips. _Who is...who the hell is 'Trio the Punch'? Izuru?_

 **Don't ask me. I am the embodiment of Talent, not useless trivia knowledge.**

 _So there's not the Ultimate Trivia Master somewhere hidden in that list?_

 **I am above your taunts. Knowledge doesn't simply appear from thin air.**

 _Sure. If you say so._

Chiaki had continuing to speak. "...tatue at Jabberwock changed into a bald old man with a thin mustache. It's probably because that game also takes place on a tropical island.

The more I think about it, the more this situation feels like that bizarre action game. We might eventually end up turning into sheep.

 _...I have more questions than before._

"You really love games, right, Chiaki?" Hajime phrased it as a question, but already knew the answer. Of course, Chiaki was the Ultimate Gamer, which was part of it, but some part of him knew exactly how she was going to respond.

"Mhm. How should I put it? I like it, but gaming is my life. Or maybe life is just a game?" She pondered. "But anyway," she suddenly looked really serious. "That's all the more reason why killings shouldn't be allowed! It's not a game if you're not having fun. It doesn't mean anything if you just focus on winning or losing."

 _I think there's more to it than that. I mean killing people isn't right, but I think I understand where she's coming from._

"...You're right." Hajime eventually replied. "Using your logic, there is a silver lining though."

"...You think so?" she asked, curious.

"Yeah. I mean we're all trapped on this horrible island, being forced to play this twisted game. But at least we're with other people. Playing a game with others is way more fun than playing alone, yeah?"

Chiaki looked surprised, eyes wide, as if that wasn't the answer she had initially expected. She then relaxed, smiling. "Yeah. I think you're right. As long as we work together, I think we can beat this game. There's often more than one way to win, after all."

Hajime gave a grin, but felt something like sadness tugging at chest. He shook it off and looked over Chiaki's shoulder. "Still have that Zelda import?"

wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Eventually parting from Chiaki several hours later, he wandered across the island, passing the market and the airport and hesitating in front of both before moving on. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, and he knew he should probably be eating lunch, but he felt so restless he couldn't help wanting to pace.

Eventually reaching the small sandy path that led down to the beach where he'd first awoken and met Izuru, he hesitated again. This time, though, he took the plunge, trotting down the path until the feeling of sand in his shoes compelled him to remove them and feel the grain between his toes.

 _A dip in the ocean in this wouldn't be so bad, would it? I mean, this is a summer resort destination. Probably, at least._

Finally stepping onto the beach, his initial observation that he was alone was quickly proven false. Sat beneath the limited shade of the palm trees was a familiar mop of white hair, along with an oversized jacket, still being worn despite the overwhelming summer heat.

 _God damn it. My eyes aren't playing tricks on me, are they? That's Nagito. And he's still wearing that jacket? He's going to get heatstroke one of this days, and he doesn't look well to begin with._

 _What should I do? Izuru said he was dangerous...But he doesn't_ seem _like a bad guy. Izuru has been creepily accurate so far though._

"Oh Hajime!" Nagito had noticed his arrival, twisting to face him. He smiled sreenly, and waved lazily. "What a surprise!"

 _Well he's noticed me now._

"Uh, hey," he replied eloquently. "I'm surprised to find you on the beach for some reason. Aren't you hot? Being in a jacket like that while out in the heat will make you sick, you know."

Nagito laughed, smiling in a carefree way. If Izuru's words weren't dancing in the back of his mind, he would even say that being around Nagito was relaxing. There was something to be said for mob mentality after all.

"I'll be fine; I'm always been a little cold. What about you, though, Hajime? You look a little sick yourself."

"Me?" Hajime found himself answering, legs moving before he could think. Nagito shifted over and Hajime sat himself down next to him in the shade, watching the crashing waves. Nagito looked at him for a moment before nodding.

"I just thought you looked a little pale. Ah, but maybe you're just a little worried. It'd be weird if you weren't worried by something like this." Nagito's tone was lilting, but it dropped a little at the end, like a half-disguised accusation. Or perhaps Hajime was overly paranoid by the situation at hand.

"You'd be right," he found himself agreeing. "Although I've been told I'm handling it rather well considering my reaction earlier, on the beach," he watched Nagito out the corner of his eye, the latter staring at the waves. "I think it's because I've been so paranoid up until this point," he admitted. "When something happened, it was weird." The words began to tumble from his mouth. "It was like I'd been so tense , so paranoid, so worried that something was going to happen, that when it actually did, I felt somewhat relieved. But that sounds so stupid, right?"

Nagito looked surprised for a moment before relaxing into a smile. "That doesn't sound stupid. It sounds rather reasonable, actually. Perhaps it was the rest of us who were too relaxed."

Hajime chuckled bitterly. "Of course that doesn't mean I took the news last night very well. Just…" He waved aimlessly. "I guess I've adjusted. Not that I'm happy about it." He sighed.

"Anyway," Hajime quickly changed the subject. "You mentioned before you're a lucky student, right? How does that work?"

Nagito laughed. It was soft and quiet. "You're quite smooth Hajime," he hummed. "Changing the topic like that. Well, I guess I understand." He hummed for a moment. "To be awarded the title of Ultimate Lucky Student...you have to win a country-wide lottery hosted by Hope's Peak Academy. And obviously, that was me."

"..." Hajime waited for Nagito to continue but he remained quiet, staring resolutely ahead.

"That's it?" he queried, doubtful.

"I know, right?" Nagito laughed. "That's exactly the reaction I expected! Who would have thought that an average, talentless high school student like me would ever enter Hope's Peak Academy…"

Hajime suddenly felt uneasy, and rather sick.

"At first...I declined. I told them I didn't deserve it. But they told me they really wanted me to attend… Apparently this so-called luck of mine is a talent that even the school doesn't fully understand...To research it, the school picks the Ultimate Lucky Student every year through an annual lottery. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to be here. But on the other hand, I feel a little out of place you know?" He laughed lightly.

"I feel that," Hajime felt the words slip out unintentionally.

"Huh," Nagito blinked.

"I-I mean I can't remember my talent anyway," he smiled sadly "So even if I do belong here, I still kind of feel like an imposter, you know?"

"I guess we're more alike than we thought!" Nagito said. "Imposter, huh? Are you sure you don't have imposter syndrome, Hajime? Or maybe you really are an imposter." He spoke the words with a dead serious expression and Hajime hesitated in confusion. He paused a beat before snickering. "I'm just kidding with you! I can tell you're an Ultimate, just by looking. Or at least, you have to be, or Hope's Peak wouldn't have accepted you, right?"

"You have a point, I suppose…" _The way he's speaking makes me think he might be right. And I mean, I have vague memories of attending Hope's Peak too, so it's not just a mix up either. Yeah, maybe I am meant to be here._

"Talents that suit you, Hajime. Hmm... Maybe the Ultimate Spiky Hair? Or the Ultimate Scatterbrain?"

"...What kind of talents are those?" Hajiem asked, exasperated. _And you built me up like that too._

"Haha, sorry, sorry! I was mostly playing around. To be honest, Hajime, this is the first time we've properly spoken outside of those brief interactions we had before Monokuma arrived on the scene. It's hard to make a serious judgement just after meeting someone, you know!"

 _Izuru doesn't seem to have any problems with that…_

"But I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually!" Nagito gave a final piece of encouragement.

"...Thanks."

"Oh? What for?"

"Just for talking to me, I guess." _I feel like it's the first time someone's believed in me for a very long time…_

"You don't need to thank me for that! You're an Ultimate after all. I should be the one thanking you!"

On that slightly pessimistic note, Hajime pulled himself from the sand and wandered from the beach.

wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Omake:

"I shouldn't of skipped lunch," Hajime grumbled to himself.

 **Shouldn't have skipped lunch.**

 _What?_

 **It's have, not of.**

 _What, so now you're a grammar nazi as well? Also, where the hell have you been the last few hours?_

 **You're just that boring, I have to wring what little entertainment there is to be had by irritating you. And you had no need of me the last few hours. You were off making friends.**

 _Oh shut up, Mr. High and Mighty. You wanted to visit Chiaki just as much as I did. And what was up with all that melancholy anyway?_

 **Being around that person may cause me regret, but the melancholy is all yours, Hajime.**

 _You're keeping things from me again, aren't you? Fine. What about Nagito? I was doing research! You said he was dangerous but decided to just vanish from the face of the earth when I'm talking to him? What the heck was up with that?_

 _ **Hajime. No offense, but you are a truly terrible liar. Actors would weep if you ever tried to keep a secret. You already struggle not to speak to yourself. Did you really want to make all manner of odd facial expressions in front of someone already suspicious of us?**_

…

 _Hey, Izuru. Do I really have a talent?_

 **...Perhaps.**

wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Authors Note:

Me to Me: Are you really just hiding the fact you don't know how to write Nagito/Izuru interactions

Me:...no

So anyway, I decided to separate Free Time from the main story line for labeling ease. As expected, Nagito got the most votes at 9 votes since this was the last time in a while he was available in canon. Chiaki came next at 8 votes. She was written first because she was leading when I started writing. Next came Kazuichi (underrated boy) at 4 votes. He was tied with the secret, unmentioned option, Izuru which some sneaky person over at AO3 noticed. I didn't even realise this was a loophole until it was too late. I'm not closing it though. But uh. Hajime and Izuru are sharing a body so that means Hajime is just gonna spend time annoying Izuru in hope of getting a hope shard. Which. Probably wont work. But you can vote for it anyway! Next came Gundham at 2 votes. Then, Peko, Mikan, Nekomaru, Sonia, Hiyoko, Byuakyua and Mahiru at 1 vote. Akane and Ibuku got no votes :(

These Free Time events were more relevant to canon and heavily edited from normal Free Time events than their canon counterparts. Nagito's was a mix of his introduction we didn't get normally, plus the first free time event. Also, I got told that I wrote a character that really dislike very well, to the point that they said I captured their good points. Which was like. Awkward, but also super high praise. I'm doing something right at least. You guys have no idea that your comments legitimately make me cry. Plot will be up soon! (Also Omake is like. Extra non-canonical extra scene that I didn't know whether to include)

I'm restarting the poll for the next Free Time events. Old votes not longer count.

Also, sorry for the long authors note, but I don't care whether your 'reviews' are legitimate criticism or like just. ' :) '. I'm starved for interaction and I love all of you and this story has more followers than it deserves by far. See you next time!


	8. Chapter 1: Motive

After staggering back to his cabin, exhausted from his time in Nagito's presence, he found himself taking a shower. Despite sitting in the shade beneath the palm trees, the summer heat had continued to beat down, and Hajime found himself wondering how Nagito didn't straight up pass out wearing that heavy jacket.

He dried his hair with his towel as he walked back to his bed, sitting down with a sigh. He pulled out the monopad, casually swiping through the student profiles once again. He paused, surprised, realising that a new Hope shard had appeared on Chiaki and Nagito' s profiles since meeting with them earlier that day. Flicking back to his own profile, he stared blankly, willing the Ultimate ? to give way to something new. He scanned the same page over once more, noting that nothing had changed since the first time he'd opened the profile.

 _How'd they even find out my favourite food, anyway? Interviews, maybe? It's a weird detail to include._

He hesitated, finger hovering over the pad, before releasing the breath he was holding. He swiped right, landing on Izuru's page. Only the very first page was filled in, containing the same unnerving picture as before. Uncaring red eyes seemed to glare from the screen beneath a thick wave of dark brown hair, set in a face that was obviously his own.

The details remained the same, as well, including the mysterious 'Ultimate Talent/Ultimate?" he had observed previously. It was silly and a bit childish, but seeing "Ultimate ?" listed on Izuru's profile as well as his own made him feel just a little bit better. Like his chance of having a talent to call his own was more than just a long-lasted dream.

"No new details, huh?" he murmured. "Hey, Izuru, the student profiles work on these so-called Hope Shards, right? And to get a Hope Shard requires some sort of...familiarity, maybe? Or a bond? Why is it I have a shard with you, but Nagito doesn't? And I thought we'd started getting to know each other pretty well over the last day; but there hasn't been any changes."

 **You're somewhat correct; however, rather than familiarity, Hope Shards are collected based on the level of 'trust' between two people. I would assume that each new shard would require an exponential increase in amount. For most people, obtaining the first shard would simply require a successful introduction with another person.**

"An introduction? That's it? I mean, I guess that matches up to what's already happened, but I'm not sure what trust has to do with it." Hajime brow furrowed as he automatically replied aloud. He continued to flick through the different profiles, noting the likes and dislikes of all of his new classmates.

 **An introduction, or more specifically, a** _ **truthful**_ **introduction is essentially entrusting another person with details about your life, including your name and background. In a world such as this, filled with technology, it gives them a certain level of access to your life, does it not?**

"...That makes some sense. I guess." Hajime nodded slowly. He paused, as a new thought came to him.

"Wait, doesn't that mean that this thing can tell if you're telling the truth? Or at least measure the level of trust between people? Isn't that impossible?"

 **Eliminate the impossible and whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be true. Of course, who's to say what's impossible? You and I are here, at the same time and place, nonetheless. Many would say that's quite impossible.**

"That's a pretty cool quote; I feel like I've heard it somewhere before though." He massaged his temples, and sighed. "You're definitely right about the impossible thing though; this entire trip has been nothing _but_ impossible things, right after another."

The entire scenario he had found himself in was becoming more and more strange the more he gained insight into his situation. Even this Hope Shard system, which he normally wouldn't have paid much attention to, was suspicious at second glance. And wasn't it something that Monomi, not Monokuma, introduced?

 **What a surprisingly astute observation of you.**

Glancing at the time, he was surprised at how late it had gotten without him noticing. How he had managed to spend so much time with just two people was frankly beyond him. He locked the tablet and fell back onto his bedspread, listening to the sound of waves crashing in the distance.

 _To think it hasn't even been two days since I arrived on this island. It feels like I've been here for weeks. Will I...really ever be able to leave?_

The thought was sobering. He didn't trust that black and white helltoy as far as he could throw it. And since even touching the damn thing was pretty much against the rules...well, to say he didn't trust it all wouldn't be wrong to say. Would they really just be 'let go' if they killed someone? What was the point of holding a game like this? He sighed, rolling over and burying his face in the cool sheets. This wasn't getting him anywhere.

 _Moping and asking myself stupid questions like this is a total waste of time. In reality, I should head out, see if anyone is around at the restaurant. Maybe someone else figured something out._

He slid from the bed to the floor, pulling himself to his feet. Quickly straightening the sheets, he turned and reached for his shoes, before being interrupted by a burst of static originating from the screen perched in the corner of his room. It was quickly followed by the chime he'd very quickly come to associate with the feeling of dread.

"Oh no...that bell…" Hajime muttered. "Please don't tell me…"

"...Ahem…Attention...Please." Monokuma's image filled the screen. "Hello everyone; don't panic, it's just me! Or do panic, it's not like I care. Anyway, Hope's Peak Academy School Trip Executive Committee has an announcement to make. It's the moment you've all been waiting for. The big reveal! It's finally time to _really_ get this show on the road! Meet me at Jabberwock park, pronto!" With a burst of static, the screen went black.

Hajime swore. Refusing Monokuma's orders fell under the same umbrella as the tempting concept of punting the damn bear off the island; that is, it was forbidden. In other words, he had no choice but to make his way to the park. Finally grabbing the shoes he'd reached for initially, he pulled them on, before pocketing his monpad from its place on the bed, and exiting the cottage. The jog to the central island was a grim one; Hajime didn't speak a word, mind churning anxiously, and Izuru...well, Hajime wasn't sure whether Izuru actually gave a damn about the current situation, but that didn't mean the man didn't decide to read the mood now and again.

Somehow, he didn't meet a single other student on his walk to and over the bridge leading to the central island. Perhaps they'd set out immediately, or started closer to the bridge than he had, but the eerily silent night air combined with the lack of actual people made his skin crawl.

He almost wanted to cry with relief when he encountered Peko hovered at the signing marking the path that led to the central park. She was frowning, unnaturally still except for her silver hair dancing lightly in the ocean breeze. Hajime didn't need to speak a single word before she turned his way, nodding once.

"So...you came too, huh?" The words slipped out, bitter, in the place of a greeting. Peko didn't seem to mind, and contrarily seemed to relax a little at the tone.

"Of course," she replied. "I would be a fool not to. You know the rules written in the e-handbook as well as myself. Defying Monokuma is not permitted. This situation...it's already complicated enough. Angering Monokuma needlessly would make it all the worse. I just hope everyone else feels the same way." She met his eyes as she spoke, tone sombre.

Hajime felt a thrill of unease run through him at the last line. The implications of somebody pushing Monokuma after that last display of power made his stomach churn. He prayed that everyone else had felt the same way, and that he'd arrive with everyone still safe and sound.

"At any rate, we must enter the park eventually," Peko continued. But she hesitated, looking like she was about to step forward, but turned to him instead. "I am concerned about whatever it is that Monokuma is planning for us. I am sure that it will be nefarious in nature. However," her eyes rose to meet his, filled with unwavering determination. "We must not forget that this could also be an opportunity to procure more answers. Let us step forward with courage."

Hajime replied with what he knew was a weak grin. Nausea churned in his stomach, and it was like every nerve in his body was yelling 'run away!' at the prospect of entering the park and listening to Monokuma's rambling. But he held firm. One part of him was almost emboldened by peko's strong words. "You're right," he said. "There's no point hanging around here anyway, right?"

He was unsurprised when he found that Peko and himself were the last ones to arrive at the park. Students were scattered across the open park, some talking in groups, and some fidgeting and worrying on their own. In the centre of the park was a huge stage, which had sprung up overnight. Gaudy fabric and coloured lights were strung around the space and hung off the framework in an imitation of a cheerful festival scene. In reality, the cheerful decorations felt forced, and simply fed the feeling of unease that gripped his heart.

"Nice of you two to finally join us," Hajime turned to find Byakyua glaring in their general direction. "I was going to suggest that you'd lost your nerve and decided not to show up. But apparently," his eyes flickered between them, "you were just too busy _chatting_ instead. Is this but a joke to you?" he asked venomously.

Hajime opened his mouth to answer, but Peko moved first. "I don't believe that's any of your business," she said simply, yet coldly. Byuakyua's expression closed down, becoming more stony. . His eyes flickered between them once more. Hajime just shrugged in response and retreated, following Peko's back as she turned to leave. .

"Ugh!" Kazuichi's voice echoed, rising above the cacophony of murmured conversations. "Why'd he drag us out here this time? This is so annoying!" The mechanic moaned. He was pacing back and forth, chewing on a fingernail. The bite marks already engraved in the nail betrayed his true nervousness. He would wear a path into the grass at this rate, Hajime thought idly.

"If you didn't want to come, you should've locked yourself in your cabin. Stop complaining! What are you, a child?" Kazuichi flinched at the harsh tone, turning to meet a snarling Fuyuhiko.

The mechanic gaped silently for a moment, formulating a response, and bearing a fantastic resemblance to a shark out of water. "W-Well, ya know, bad thing's could'a happened if I hadn't come, ya know?" he finally mumbled back. Fuyuhiko didn't look impressed; rather his expression of disgust deepened further.

"Then maybe you shoulda been the one to test it out. Let the rest of us know, first-hand, what the punishment is for breakin' the rules. Now, shut up or be useful, moron!" he snarled.

 **A useless proposal. It should be obvious that the most likely penalty for breaking the rules is death. Please resist experienting, Hajime. The rest of these idiots may attempt to test the boundaries as they please, but it would be rather inconvenient if you died so early in the game.**

 _Was that comment really necessary? Of course I'm not going to test it! I'm not suicidal, nor an idiot, despite what you seem to think! I listened to the damn bear and turned up, didn't I? And hey, what do you mean inconvenient - !?_

"Ah, um," a new person joined the fray. "Please calm down, Fuyuhiko." Nagito pleaded. "Friends shouldn't fight, after all."

"I'm not anyone's _fucking_ friend!" Fuyuhiko whirled, eyes flashing dangerously in the lantern light. He approached Nagito menacingly, causing the lucky student to back up nervously. "Back off, or I'll _fucking_ kill you."

As Nagito sweated nervously, Kazuichi took the chance to scuttle backwards to a safe distance, jaw dropping in shock.

"Oi! What's the big deal? You can't threaten people like that!" Mahiru stepped in, expression outraged. "What are you, special? I bet you're just lashing out at the rest of us because you're scared too! So what, you think being a big, bad, Yakuza means you get a free pass to attack other people and swear?" Mahiru, bless her incredible courage and personal sense of justice, met the yakuza's furious gaze evenly with one of her own.

Fuyuhiko went bright red in the face, splttering incoherently for several seconds. "YOU- You can _FUCK_ right off! I'm not like the rest of you suckers! You're all nothing but cowards!" He all but spat the words, his hands going white as he clenched them tight. At his side, Hajime heard Peko shift somewhat uncomfortably.

"Yeah, but like...you're here too, yeah. Doesn't that make you a coward, right along with the rest of us?" Akane casually interjected into the conversation, dropping the bombshell of a comment as casually as asking for a menu.

Nobody spoke for several seconds. Fuyuhiko's already red face quickly deepened to the shade of a ripe tomato, and a vein visibly began to throb in his forehead. He opened his mouth to speak twice, before his mouth snapped shut. Eventually he took a deep breath, and his face paled back to normal. Perhaps what was more terrifying was how his stance suddenly shifted; suddenly the fire-hot rage seemed to fade away, replaced with an ice-cold demeanour and a dark aura.

"A coward, huh?" he murmured. A twisted, malicious grin spread slowly across his face. "I already told you guys, it's not like that. I'm not like the rest of you suckers."

"Oh _please,_ " Mahiru began.

"I could do it, you know," Fuyuhiko interjected slowly. Everyone stilled, the implied meaning hanging in the air. "I could kill someone. If it meant getting off this shitty island; I don't even need another reason."

"Hey-hey," Hajime laughed nervously. _What the fuck am I DOING- "_ Maybe we should all calm down? There's no point in getting angry, right?"

"Don't act like we're friends, goddammit!" Fuyuhiko snarled. Hajime flinched. "I'll say it again. The world I live in is kill or be killed; something like this is natural to me!" he grinned. "So stop trying to act so goddamn chummy with me, dumbass! I'm nobody's friend!"

"You...how dare you! Take it back; take back what you just said! I mean it!" Mahiru growled. Hajime gulped. Somehow, Fuyuhiko's outburst had made the photographer even angrier, and he suddenly felt caught in the middle.

"Not a chance in hell, bitch." Fuyuhiko laughed. "I mean it," he grinned. "Ya wanna die, I'll kill ya right now!"

To Hajime's shock, Akane stepped forward, cracking her knuckles. "If it's a fight ya want," she grinned maliciously. "I'll take ya on. Bring it." She flexed her fingers, cracking them one at a time. _She's serious._ Hajime realised. " _She's gonna fight him? Now?!"_

He didn't realise he'd spoken aloud until Peko gave him a sidelong glance. Face set in stone, she stepped forward, blocking Akane's advance. "That's enough," she said. She glanced between the two parties. "Fighting won't change anything in this situation," she said firmly.

Fuyuhiko's smile twisted into a grimace, and he made a face like he'd tasted something sour. "Don't treat me like a child," he said coldly. Peko met his gaze evenly, but didn't speak another word. Instead she crossed her arms, unmoving from where she stood. Fuyuhiko scowled, opening his mouth. _Probably to spit more angry curses,_ Hajime thought.

"ENOUGH!" a deep, booming voice shut down the entire encounter, echoing throughout the entire clearing. Whatever heads weren't already turned and focused on the scene were now firmly focused on the group at the entrance, as Byakyua strode forward. Clearly, he'd been listening in the entire time, and now he'd finally decided to step in.

 _Finally,_ Hjaime thought, exasperated.

"Fighting is pointless." The heir said firmly.

"Huh? What, now you're tryin' to treat me like a kid too?"

"Not at all; I simply mean what I said," Byukyua said smugly. "Do you really want such an obvious killing on your hands? You'd be executed immediately, I'm sure you're aware. Unless you want to die. In which case, you really _are_ a coward _and_ a child."

You could hear a pin drop in the following silence. Mentally, Hajime screamed. He imagined himself slamming his head against one of the sturdy-looking poles in frustration. They were _so close_ to resolving this stupid, pointless situation. And then, what? He instigated it again? Did no-one here understand how critical the situation? How deep the conspiracy obviously went? He nearly growled in frustration, but settled by exhaling heavily and burying his face in his hands. He wanted to cry. It was day two, and he already wanted to give up.

 _They're...they're so...argh.._

 **I very much understand your pain. I tend to feel that way towards everyone I've ever met. You really must learn to lower your standards, Hajime.**

 _I think that's just called being a dick, Izuru._

He lifted his head and looked for an unlikely saviour; not his classmates, no. Though he doubted he'd show when such juicy drama was going down, Hajime, as bile the sensation was, _really_ wished that Monokuma would just turn up already.

"I have arrived!" To his shock, his least favorite stuffed animal rang through the park, dragging everyone's attention to the stage in the centre. "Now that's everyone's arrived, we can finally begin the show!"

 _Everyone arrived a while ago._ Hajime thought bitterly. _You were just having too much fun watching, I'd bet._ He'd surprised himself how quickly he'd gone from panic to bitterness in regards to the bear's presence. He pinned it on the irritating yet reassuring presence of Izuru in the back of his mind. His thoughts must've shown on his face, because Monokuma sent a wink his way, twirling around the microphone he had in one paw, the sequined black tuxedo jacket he wore sparkling in the stage lights.

"Don't I look fabulous?!" the manical toy cackled. He posed one, twice, as the crowd of students looked on with disgust. "Hm...not much of a reaction. Too bad. I was so excited as well. Now, I feel I'm forgetting something?" Monokuma looked thoughtful for a moment before snapping his...paw? _How does that-_

 **Don't even.**

 _Okay._

"I haven't introduced my new co-host!" Monokuma exclaimed brightly. There was a clack, followed by the sound of whirring. Slowly, a trap door opened up on stage, and the faint sound of sobbing reached Hajime's ears. As he watched, somewhat both bemused and horrified, Usami, or Monomi, as she was now known, was dragged on stage. She'd been dressed up in an equally sparkling red dress with a bow pinned to one ear.

"P-Please...I don't...wahh…" she sobbed.

What followed next was one of the longest yet nonsensical skits Hajime had ever seen. It had obviously been written with comedy in mind; and yet it was obviously Monokuma's sense of humour that had been woven through it, not of any sane person's. Monomi stumbled her way through the whole thing, dragged back and forth through the act, verbally mentally and occasionally physically. Not a single student laughed, yet no one could look away.

And then, Monokuma dropped a bombshell of his own. "Ya guys better be careful ya know," he said casually. "Cause Monomi's actually even a badder guy than me! She's the worst! An actual villain! And that's a fact. Cause ya know, she went all the way out of her way just to erase your memories!"

"Huh? Wait? What? Oh..ah…" Monomi stammered.

 _I KNEW IT_

 **Congratulations.**

 _Just let me have this, Izuru._

Hajime turned to meet Peko's eye. She studied him for a moment, obviously taking in his poorly hidden sense of victory.

"I mean, none of you even remember arriving here, right? But she took even more than that!" Monokuma paused suspensefully for the big reveal. "She took away the memories of all the years you spent together at Hope's Peak Academy! What a shocker!"

Several members of the class went pale in shock, and one even stumbled a little. Byuakyua's face was tense and even Fuyuhiko's face went pale.

"..OR NOT!" Monokuma roared. Everyone flinched backwards at the sudden change in tone. "How the hell do you think I feel? I had this big plan, ya know? All the crumbs I was gonna feed ya along the way, leading to glorious murders! But no! One of you _brats_ ," he ran his eye over the crowd and Hajime shuddered as he felt it slow and settle on him. "Decided that they were _too good_ for memory erasure and just _had_ to remember some of his memories and blab! My big reveal is absolutely ruined!"

Hajime flushed red under the scrutiny, even though he knew he never had a choice in the matter. Besides, blabbing? Of course he'd ask questions when something was obviously off! It was common sense! Slowly, everyone's eyes followed Monokuma's gaze and fell on Hajime, who was fidgeting awkwardly. He coughed nervously, trying not to look too guilty.

"You...you had _what?_ " Fuyuhiko snarled. "Why the hell didn't you say anything?!"

"I-I don't remember much!" Hajime protested. He bit his lip as everyone began to scowl. "Look, I just...woke up with my memories all wonky. When I woke up; on the beach," he added, "Everyone was saying things about being first years." He frowned. "But I vaguely remembered already attending Hope's Peak for at least a year or two. I couldn't remember anything specific; for some reason the details are really hazy. But I definitely attended Hope's Peak as a student! That much I'm sure of. Plus," he glanced in Chiaki's direction, "...some of you were strangely familiar, though I couldn't remember any names." Chiaki responded with an encouraging smile, urging him on.

"Honestly, though, I'm probably missing more memories than I remember, honestly," he admitted.

"Your talent," Sonia realised.

Hajme nodded sombrely. "It's...hard to tell what's there and what's not. Because it doesn't feel like you're missing anything until you're searching for a specific memory. And from what I can tell, I'm missing bits and pieces all over the place, all from different points in my life. Not just my talent, but I can't even remember my eleventh birthday for some reason, for example."

Kazuichi's eyebrows furrowed. "Dude, how did you even realise something like that?"

Hajime just made a face and shrugged. "Look, we're stranded on an island, with nothing to do, and I realised I had holes in my memory. Of course I went poking around."

"Yeah...I dunno. It seems kind of suspicious," Kazuichi muttered. "Sorry dude."

Gundham crossed his arms, frowning. "Pray tell, why didn't thou inform anyone?"

"I...kinda thought I'd be considered crazy. I mean, I didn't have solid evidence! Just a really strong feeling and some hazy memories. And then with everything that happened afterwards," Hajime's eyes slid towards Monokuma, who was still sulking on stage. " I kinda thought I'd look suspicious. Everyone already had more important things to worry about, I guess? Though I did talk to one person about it, I suppose, so I wasn't really meaning to keep it a secret."

"Ha? What, so you were colluding with someone? Having a secret alliance maybe?" Hiyoko giggled. A malicious, razor-sharp smile slowly spread across her face.

"It was nothing of the sort." Peko stepped forward to stand beside him. "It was me that he confided in. I noticed that Hajime looked...troubled, on that first day. I had decided to attempt to connect with some of my classmates on the encouragement of our...teacher."

Monomi stopped her whimpering for a moment, ears pricking in attention. She brought her paws to her mouth and squeaked in surprise. "Peko...you really…"

"Please shut up," Peko said curtly. "As I was saying. I approached him because he looked troubled. Afterwards, he asked me some strange questions. Whether I was actually a first year student, or had previously attended Hope's Peak. Whether any of our classmates seemed familiar." She shifted her stance, crossing her arms as she closed her eyes in thought. "Of course, I had no such recollections and I told him as such. However, I too was somewhat suspicious of our circumstances and chose to further interrogate him. I mostly attributed his strangeness to heatstroke, perhaps, or a nightmare. I didn't have much time to ruminate on the matter, as Monokuma arrived soon after. It seemed like an insignificant matter with a murderous toy throwing the island into disarray." Peko concluded. She spoke plainly, with no room for argument.

As she finished speaking, she opened her eyes, running them across her various classmates, daring them to speak against her. Many of them cowered somewhat, their previous outrage and suspicious quelled beneath the ice-cold gaze. For a few moments, there was silence. But not everyone had given in to Peko's stare.

"Right." Hiyoko said dryly. " So, what I'm hearing is that, we have two liars now?"

 _What a brat!_

Hiyoko's comment seemed to reignite the crowd, sending murmurs scurrying yet again. Peko frowned, obviously unnerved by the crowd's suden turn. One by one, once again, the eyes turned to study him.

Hajime shrunk under the gaze of his classmates. Rather than teens his own age, it was like he was suddenly surrounded by a group of shadows, full of suspicion and murderous intent. He curled his hands into fists, feeling as his fingernails dug painfully into his palms. He felt Izuru's presence uncurl in his mind, slithering forward like a weighty serpent.

 **Hajime, let me-**

" _Stop it._ " a crystal clear voice clearly cut through the doubtful chatter. Suddenly, there was a girl between him and his classmates. Grounded and determined, hands gripping her backpack straps tightly, Chiaki stood in front of him, cheeks puffed out in annoyance.

"Please stop. Didn't we just agree there was no point in fighting?" Her eyes ran over the crowd, her eyes softening. "Fighting like this, dividing ourselves; it's what Monokuma wants. Besides," she glanced back at Hajime, smiling. For a short moment, his heart seemed to skip a beat. "Hajime's already explained himself. You can't blame him for ignoring something like that, when we're stuck in such a weird scenario. We have to trust each other!" she declared.

Slowly, the murmurs died down, leaving the group looking vaguely ashamed. Some rubbed the back of their heads, others refused to meet Hajime's eyes. Some, like Akane, just looked perpetually confused.

Aaaannywayyy!" Monokuma sighed, "Now that you've finished with your little 'Friendship is Magic' speech, can we puullease get back on track? Finally! So, the whole memory thing is kaput. _Almost."_ Monokuma's grin to stretch even further, and everyone's attention quickly turned to the stuffed bear. "Cause guess what? I still know things that I _know_ you don't remember. _Brat._ Now," Monokuma walked to the side of the stage, grabbing a fabric pool chair hidden somewhere off to the side. Slowly, he dragged it to the centre of the stage, before very dramatically plunking himself into it.

We all know that you've spent several years at Hope's Peak Academy. Making friends! Learning useless shit! Yada Yada! Boooring! But what'cha don't know is what happened _after._ " He cackled evilly.

"...After?" Byuakyua muttered.

"It was glorious…" Monokuma said dreamily. He reached one paw out to grab something that the students couldn't see. "Perfect...ahem." he coughed. "I mean...Look, I'm a generous bear. So I'm not gonna beat around the bush, ifyouknowwhatImean. I mean, you _could_ kill someone to escape this place, but I'm not _really_ sure why you'd want to?"

"Hey, hey, isn't that like, the complete opposite of what you were saying earlier?" Ibuki complained. "Is the stuffing in your head loose? Do we need to restuff you? Do we even have a needle and thread? Wait, we have a nurse! Quick!" she turned to Mikan. "Can you operate on teddy bears?!"

"Uh...m-maybe? But uh, I d-don't have any needle or thread r-right now…"

"Drat!" Ibuki swore.

"SHUT UP!" Monokuma snarled. "Look, the outside world is dead."

 _...Huh?_

"Gone. Not-alive. Useless. Empty. Deceased. Expired. Passed on. Lifeless. Peris-"

"What do you mean, dead?" Sonia asked sharply. "You imply that there's nothing left of the outside world. But something like that is impossible!"

"What Miss Sonia said is right!" Kazuichi yelled. "Whaddya mean 'dead'? That doesn't make sense!"

"Dead is dead!" Monokuma snarled.

 _Dead? The world is dead? Hey, Izuru. What...what does he mean by that? That the world is dead?_

"Wait, so like, someone bombed the place or something?" Akane asked, looking uncharastically shocked.

"Ahaha. No. No. Nonono. Nononononononononononono. S-Something like that. It can't be possible." Teruteru stuttered. "This is all a bad dream," he muttered. "J-Just a bad dream…"

"We won't be fooled by your foul-tongued lies, demon." Gundham growled, pulling his scarf tight. "Such a thing...falls directly into the realm of impossibility."

In his own disbelief, Hajime ran his eyes over his classmates. Mikan was not holding up well, trembling violently where she stood. Nekomaru stood tense and stone faced, looking mildly ill, if somewhat disbelieving. Ibuki was...passed out of the ground apparently, frothing at the mouth.

 _Is she...gonna be okay?_

Nagito appeared almost as bad as Mikan. His face was even more pale than it's already sickly shade, and a look of horror was plastered firmly across his features. He didn't seem to doubt the news even a little.

The rest of his classmates wore similar looks of disbelief and concern, slowly beginning to mutter amongst themselves.

"If the world is as you say...dead." Byakuya said slowly. The chatter quickly died. "How did it happen? Nuclear war? A pandemic of some sort?" His glasses flashed gold in the lantern-light as he pushed them into place on his nose. "Please answer that."

Monokuma stared back expressionlessly. "...Violence." he said eventually. "Beautiful, senseless violence! One day, everyone just decided to beat each other to death! How amazing is that?!"

Hajime released a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. _That's it? People just...decided to beat each other to death? Everyone on the whole planet? Is this some sort of twisted joke? I actually took him seriously for a moment._

"..Haha. I actually took him seriously for a moment." Kazuichi muttered, echoing his own thoughts.

"Oi, oi, you're saying people just decided to beat each other up? That's so stupid?" Akane complained.

"...I don't really think you're one to talk, Miss Akane," Teruteru laughed nervously.

"Eh? Why not?"

Everyone else seemed to echo similar sentiments.

"...You're joking." Byakuya muttered. "Do you think this is a game?" he growled. "Is this your sense of humour?!"

"...Huh?" Monokuma tilted his head. "A game? Well, of course! This is the Killing School Trip, after all!" he cackled. "Now, I should clarify; the world you knew is 'dead'; that's a fact! But what's any good apocalypse story without a band of hardy survivors?"

"You mean some people are still alive?" Hajime blurted without thinking.

"Of course!" Monokuma cheered. "Hell, there's whole cities still standing in some places. But if you're wondering about your friends and family…I'M NOT TELLING!" he cackled.

"You dastardly demon…" Gundham muttered.

"Of course, that doesn't mean I don't know everything about your loved one's wiki status. But, like I said, my lips are sealed. Lips, mouth? Do I have lips? I'm a bear, I don't know! But, I might spill the beans on one condition…" His red eye glowed brightly as he spoke. "That is, of course, to kill another student on this island!"

"It all comes back to that. I see." The prodigy muttered.

"Yep, yep ahaha. That's the dealio." Monokuma grinned. "One murder is equal to one escape ticket and three, count' em, _three_ questions about the outside world! What a deal!" he winked.

"So that's supposed to be our motive for murder?" Fuyuhiko's eyes flashed dangerously. He scowled, and spat at the ground. "What a fuckin' farce."

"Hey now! This is a great motive! A fantastic one! And I'm telling the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! After all, bears can't lie!"

"They can't?!" Ibuki gasped.

"Well, normally, bears can't speak, idiot!" Hiyoko snapped.

Monokuma sighed. "Honestly, this is the messiest killing game I've ever witnessed. Which is saying something! I mean, first they let in not one, but _two_ students that shouldn't even be here, and then they botch the memory wipe on some brat, who go blabbing about and forcing me to make up new plans on the fly. It's very annoying!" he roared.

 _Wait, two students? Not just Izuru? But another one? Is it...is it maybe me? No, that would be...silly, right?_

"Anyway, it's officially night time! Off to bed kiddos! Better get on those murder plans before someone beats you to the punch! Or the stab! No? Okay. I admit, even I think that was terrible. Good night! Bye-onara!"

And with that, Monokuma disappeared from the stage, dragging a silent, shell-shocked Monomi from the stage.

"...Two students…?" Mikan whispered.

"Looks like we get a witch hunt after all." Hiyoko commented.

…..

…..

 **Interesting.**

 _ **Hey so, I'm alive. It's been a hell of a year. I graduated my final year of university. I began to learn how to art. I fell into like 5 different fandoms. Had an existential crisis. Fun times. I'm gonna be honest with you guys; I have no idea if I'll every finish this story, considering we've only just gotten to the chapter 1 motive. But, I'll keep plodding along, so, as along as you keep coming back, I'll keep writing. This story is NOT dead. It. Just has a really stupid writer. Thank you for all the wonderful support I have received. As always, I'm a self-centered idiot, so if you want to send an ask or get some old tumblr memes on your dash, my tumblr is BritishRaptor.**_


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